


Tratiers

by Rabbitafy



Series: Traiters [1]
Category: Night In The Woods (Video Game)
Genre: AU, Action & Romance, F/F, Long, M/M, Romance, Slow Burn, alternative universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-14
Updated: 2017-08-13
Packaged: 2018-10-31 18:36:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 38,581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10905093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rabbitafy/pseuds/Rabbitafy
Summary: All Greggory wanted was to be able to live his life without the fear of being hunted, like most people with Traits ended up... but as soon as he laid his eyes upon Angus Delaney, all of that changed. Not even a force of nature could stop him from protecting such a sweet, gentle soul...But the mysterious figure following them around and leaving cryptic messages alongside a goat-head drawing is no natural force and soon enough, Gregg has to decide just how much - and WHO - he's willing to risk.





	1. Ab hinc - From here on

**Author's Note:**

> Hey all!
> 
> I've been working on this fanfic for almost a month now. Usually I try to have a fanfic 100% complete before I start to upload it, but this one just keeps getting LONGER, so I figured it's about time to at least upload Part 1. 
> 
> This takes place in an AU and the characters are humans in high school. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

  
  
  
  


The sound of the chair’s uneven legs scraping along the ugly tiles was nearly lost in the sea of sounds that was the cafeteria, the overabundance of people likely far beyond the allotted fire code. But for the singular school in a tiny town where nothing ever happened, it was all they really had. The building hadn't been updated since the 60’s and back then people didn't multiply at such a rapid rate. The local ‘community council’ didn't bother to funnel any of their funds into the building, which left the students all crowded together in a tiny room with awful ventilation. The only salvation from the feelings of claustrophobia was the open eating area outside, where picnic tables were set up in a patch of grass. On sunny days the students were allowed to filter outside after getting food and could enjoy the freedom of fresh air…

 

Today, however, was not one of those days.

 

“I'm  **_bored_ ** _! _ ”

 

A bundle of stick-like limbs flopped all over the tiny circular table as Mae Borowski groaned, letting her forehead rest on it’s fake wooden surface. Red eyes slowly turned to gaze upside-down at the figures seated with her, who looked about as pleased as she felt. “The rain sucks!”

 

“You’re tellin’ me!” A lively blonde chirped up, his high-pitched voice one that was unforgettable. Gregg leaned back in his cracked plastic chair and crossed both arms, the crinkle of his leather jacket distinct as he huffed. “I'm so bored I can hear myself blink! I gotta get out of here, dude!”

 

“Then let's  _ goooo _ ,” Mae instantly insisted, her gaze turning toward the double doors that lead outside. A teacher from the grade school side was watching the door, but their attention was directed toward a nearby all more than anything else. “We can be out of here in a minute, tops!”

 

A grin slowly began to break across pale lips, before the blonde sat forward suddenly and perked his head up. “Hells yeah, dude! You know I'm always down for trouble!” Turning his gaze, he met the warm brown eyes of Casey and saw that their group’s third member was smiling as well, a single nod making it clear where he stood. 

 

Quiet snickers left the three of them and they climbed to their feet, slipping around the tiny room’s crowd by hugging the walls and avoiding the watchful eyes of teachers and students alike. Thankfully, no one on campus tended to mess with them… though it was probably more out of intimidation than anything. (Not to say they were bullies or  _ purposefully  _ scaring people… they just had that sort of ‘vibe’.)

 

The teacher manning the door was gazing down at a notebook held in their arms, writing something with a pencil. Their eyes didn’t even lift as they lock system on the double doors made a familiar  _ crack  _ while being pressed open, their turned back allowing the three friends to slip through without confrontation.

 

Stepping out into the rain, the trio broke into airy giggles and began to walk the short path under what was left of the ‘covered area’ toward the field. Gregg held back, both hands stuffed in his pockets and a smile on his features. Casey trailed alongside Mae before him, their friendly banter only just audible over the sound of the rain pouring around them.

 

Possum Springs was one of those towns where everyone knew everyone and nothing was secret. Nearly every person you’d walk by on the streets was recognizable in some way and to be honest… it was  _ awful.  _ Considering the air of ‘old-fashioned’ that still gripped the miniscule area like a suffocating gas, it just wasn't the type of place where he belonged… Gregg knew fully that both of his best friends didn’t notice - or didn’t care - but for him, escaping the hell that was this place was like some sort of far-off dream.

 

The pair ahead of him slowed down so suddenly that he ended up crashing in to Casey’s back, but was steadied quicky by Mae’s firm grip on his upper arm. As blue eyes turned to look at the tallest member of their group, the redhead in question held one finger up to his lips to request silence and motioned forward.

 

Allowing his eyes to trail past the taller being, the blonde’s gaze drifted toward two figures beneath the bleachers some distance away. A tall, darker skinned boy was seated on a few stray boxes while a pale girl stood beside him, a couple of objects in her hands. It took a moment for Gregg to place them both, but he turned his gaze toward his friends none the less to clarify, “Hey, isn’t that…?”

 

“Beatrice…” Mae mumbled, before quickly shutting her lips into a tight line. Once upon a time she and the girl in question had been the best of friends… complete inseparable, like conjoined twins or something. But strangely in the midst of middle-school Mae had suddenly cut contact, giving no explanation to Beatrice herself,  _ or  _ her current best friends. The subject seemed to be a fairly sore one, so both boys opted to avoid it as much as possible.

 

The question, however, had not been about the girl at all… Instead, Gregg shook his head and motioned toward the other figure, curiosity painted across his angled features. “No, no, no.  _ Him.  _ He was on track, right? Never finished a race?”

 

“Oh yeah!,” Casey cut in with a quiet hum, turning to take in the scene. “Angus, I think his name was…? They kicked him off for missing too much school.”

 

“Rude,” Mae scoffed, before crossing both arms over her chest and turning away. Seconds later, however, her red gaze caught the one of her best friend and followed it all the way back to the seated figure. Humming a little in curiosity, she pressed a finger to her lips and began to glance back and forth with a calculating expression.

 

‘Angus’ was incredibly tall, or so he appeared while seated. He was dressed in a heavy green sweater and had a mop of bright orange curls that did little to hide softly freckled cheeks. From his body language and gentle expression, it was fairly certain that he wasn’t feeling great, which only managed to peak the interest of the group more. 

 

“Hey, Casey… what are they saying?”

 

Surprise crossed the taller friend’s features and he turned to look toward the speaker, confusion and nervousness quickly beginning to replace it. To his surprise, however, Gregg seemed totally disconnected from the situation… in fact, the blonde’s attention was out-right directed on Angus now, as if he found himself unable to be torn away. “Uh, G… I don’t know…”

 

These words seemed to knock some sense to the older friend, who cursed under his breath and forced his eyes away. “Sorry, dude…” He muttered, before grinning apologetically in Casey’s direction. “That was like, way rude of me. You wanna stab me later?”

 

Humming a little bit, the pale ginger took a moment to admit to himself that while the offer  _ did  _ sound tempting (and he very much intended to follow up on it), the actions of his friend were no longer something he could ignore. One glance to Mae showed that her interest was peaked as well, so the younger boy took a deep breath. Narrowing brown eyes slightly, he forced himself to take a moment and tried to focus only on the moving lips of the pair before him. Slowly, the sounds of the rain and the world around them dulled away, leaving just the two quiet voices speaking nearly in whispers.

 

“He asked, ‘is it obvious’,” Casey explained, though he honestly couldn't even hear himself speak at the moment. The group watched on curiosity as Bea reached down with one hand and gently tilted Angus’ face upward, before wincing rather animatedly. “And she told him it wasn’t. Pretty sure she’s lying, though. I think he knows it too.”

 

A sharp bite to his bottom lip barely registered in Gregg’s mind as his feet subconsciously brought him a few steps forward. Dark blue eyes watched on as the dark-skinned deity lowered his gaze, bright golden eyes seeming incredibly darkened by the world around them. The blonde felt a strange twist in his heart as Angus let out a quiet sigh and his entire  _ soul  _ begged him to step forward and say hello or… or  _ something… _

 

Before he was given a chance, the pair seemed to become aware of their audience and slowly, Angus turned toward them. The short boy felt his breath catch in his throat the instant golden eyes met his own and his heart stopped dead for several seconds as he held that gaze, praying silently he would never have to let it go. It was shattered in an instant, however, when the dark bruising around the meek ginger’s eye became more clear and that sense of awe became a wave of  _ anger. _

 

“Mind your own fuckin’ business!” Beatrice’s voice cried out above the rain, her dark eyes glaring in their direction, matching perfectly with the sour frown on dark-painted lips. “Get lost!”

 

Although the three of them would usually jump on the chance to snap back, they stood in silence for several seconds before it was finally Mae who turned and began walking without a word. A moment later Casey reached out a hand and gently grasped Gregg’s arm to lead him away… but perceptive brown eyes did not fail to notice how the older boy’s own blue ones were still deadlocked with the golden ones across the gravel.

 

The bell signaling that lunch had concluded rang obnoxiously as they stepped back into the school’s doors, but the three of them didn’t bother to care. Instead, Mae stepped forward and turned, beginning to walk down the hallway backward (despite the students bolting around to make it to class on time). “So… how about we ditch this sinkhole? I want Donut Wolf!”

 

A wide grin broke across Gregg’s face at the suggestion and he threw one arm into the air, dark eyes sparkling with excitement once again. “Yeah, dude! Let's do it!”

 

Laughing quietly, Casey sped up his pace as the two wild twins began to run down the hall, howling loudly like usual. Mae had no chill, that was for certain, and although the school had tried hundreds of times they could in no way keep her energy and tendency for mass destruction in check. Thus, they generally let her and whoever she wanted leave the campus as they pleased (and, more likely, because a good portion of the teachers had begged for it).

 

* * *

 

A quick trip to donut wolf and another five minute bike-ride later, the three friends found themselves seated among the many trees that surrounded Possum Springs. The forest was so thick in this area that the rain rarely had a chance to hit the ground, which left the area relatively dry and great for screwin’ around.

 

“Throw!” Mae shouted, her loud voice echoing through the empty trees. In both hands she was clutching a wooden baseball bat, swung over one shoulder at the ready. Several feet from her stood Casey, who was casually holding the now mostly-empty box of donuts in one hand while munching on one with the other. “Damn it, Casey, I said  _ throw _ !”

 

Chuckling lightly, the ginger broke into a teasing grin and cocked one hip to the side.“Whats this? Mae borowski… being  _ impatient?  _ Such a thing has never been heard of! Gregg, quick! Call her parents!” A roar of laughs followed these words from the blonde in question, who had taken refuge on a nearby log with his own box of sugary treats. Upon his joke being acknowledged, the taller boy finally removed the last donut and readied himself, before tossing it under-handed to the antsy girl.

 

The  _ SPLAT  _ that followed was deafening (or at least, for Casey), and a wild smile spread across her face like a cat pouncing on its prey. The mess of sugar and wheat went flying it all directions in and almost slow-motion scene, exploding with the intensity of a semi truck having hit it. Both boys quickly turned to duck and cover their faces; a hard lesson they’d been forced to learn from years of getting food and garbage all over themselves. 

 

A groan of frustration left the scrawny girl, before she threw her head back and both arms up into the air. “This isn’t  **_helping_ ** !” With one quick motion she brought the object down with a force that caused the entire ground to rumble. The sound of birds squawking in alarm filled the air momentarily as they all fled from the trembling trees, while critters of all kinds scurried in every direction. 

 

For the several seconds that followed, stillness settled in the air as if seeping into the damp mist, before Casey slowly turned his gaze and let out a quiet mumble of, “Someone’s coming… lighter footsteps, moving quickly… Oh, fuck!” Alarm spread across his face suddenly and he turned toward his friends with a panicked squeak. “It’s mall-cop! Scatter!”

 

A string of curses left each of the three teens as they each took off in a different direction, each disappearing into the trees.

 

* * *

 

Stuffing his hands into his pockets, Gregg let out a frustrated sigh and hung his head. Dark blue eyes remained upward in an attempt to avoid any unnecessary social interaction, but even as he headed back into ‘downtown’ no one bothered to look his way. He and his ‘little group’ were well-known troublemakers and a majority of the town stayed as far away from them as possible… hell, he’d even been told by a few kids that his parents had warned them not to talk to any of them.

 

It was…  _ lonely.  _ He didn’t particularly care for people - especially the ones in this town - but like a good portion of living creatures he still found himself craving…  _ more.  _ Casey always had a constant string of ‘girlfriends’ (mostly older women looking for a ‘bad boy’ on the down-low) and Mae had that on-again, off-again thing with Cole… but the blonde had yet to find  _ anyone.  _

 

For a while he’d pinned it on himself. There wasn’t exactly a shortage of interested girls, even in such a small town, but… try as he might, he just couldn’t  _ stand  _ the idea of… putting his  _ mouth  _ on theirs. He had yet to admit such a thing to either of his friends, always too afraid of being judged or called ‘broken’ - even by those he trusted most. 

 

Today, though… today had been different.

 

He wasn't quite sure just what it was about the freckled dark-skinned boy, but the moment Gregg had laid eyes on Angus again… really  _ looked  _ at him for the first time since middle school, a sinking suspicion began to settle in his stomach. There was just… something about those pained golden eyes that made him just want to scoop the tall boy up and never let him go. 

 

_ Oh fuck… am I… am I  _ **_gay…?_ **

 

Groaning once again in pained frustration, the blonde turned suddenly and began heading back downtown. The last thing he wanted to do right now was go home, where his garbage-bin family would just make this feeling a thousand times worse, minimum. Neither of his parents were exactly… accepting, especially about things like this. In fact, he knew without a doubt if either of them found out the words he’d dared to even  _ think  _ they would toss him on to the street. (They’d been trying desperately to do so for years, anyway. He wasn't about to hand them an excuse…)

 

The sight of the underground tunnel was a welcome one as he approached it. The dark, hidden area was one of the few places around town that people could go for a sense of isolation, especially because the traffic there had died down considerably as of late. It was beginning to darken outside as well - the fall weather making sure it did so earlier and earlier - and combined with the rain, he knew most people would likely be nuzzled up in their homes.

 

...So  **what** was that noise?

 

Stepping as quietly as possible down the stairs, Gregg began to approach the sound and attempted to listen as best as possible. (Momentarily, he found himself a little envious of Casey’s intense hearing abilities, but quickly passed it off and scolded himself as he knew it only caused his friend anguish). Slowly it became more and more clear until he realized it was singing, the deep tone and quiet volume making it difficult to understand the lyrics... and yet there was  _ something  _ about it that he couldn't resist. It was almost like magic, the ethereal sound drawing him in, pulling at his very  _ soul.  _ Inching closer, the blonde felt his heart beginning to race as the source of the addicting sound came into view.

 

“-just wanna die anywhere else… if only I could die anywhere else…” (Find a better song lol)

 

Seated in one of the corners mostly hidden by the staircase was a tall figure, a thick sweatshirt with it’s hood up doing little to hide the abundance of ethnic, ginger curls that peaked out and brushed over thick-rimmed glasses. Angus was quietly curled up against a wall with what looked like a cat cuddled in his arms. A very small, yet beautifully  _ stunning _ smile was painted across freckled features and the look in his eyes was one of… relief?

 

The sound of his boot scraping on the dusty tile floor made Gregg jump suddenly in alarm, a whispered “Fuck…!” leaving him before he could think to stop himself. Panic instantly filled his chest as the tall boy turned to look at him in what seemed like horrified alarm, completely frozen. Grinding his teeth for a moment, the blonde forced himself to take a breath and broke into an embarrassed smile before lifting a hand to wave. “U-uh… hey there. It’s, uh… Angus, right…?”

 

The confused look in those alluring golden eyes pretty much matched how the paler boy felt. Since when did he stumble over his words…? Well known for being loud and incapable of stopping to think before taking action, he hadn’t spent much of his life hesitating to try and find  _ something  _ to say. Even on the down-down days, conversation usually came somewhat asily…

 

...and yet here he was, making himself look like a complete fool in front of the most beautiful boy in existence.

 

_...Shit. Am I really gay...? _

 

Moving incredibly slow, the ginger-haired boy stood and allowed the cat to climb from his lap and bolt into the shadows. His every movement spoke of caution… and yet there was a strange sense of nervous curiosity that Gregg tried to convince himself wasn't just a figment of his imagination. For several seconds he remained silent, before seeming to come to the conclusion that the shorter boy wasn’t going anywhere. “...Yeah.”

 

The seconds of silence between them felt like hours to the spunky teen… but to his surprise, it wasn’t in a  _ bad  _ way. Generally a lack of any sort of stimulating noise would drive him to anxiety, causing various injuries and property damage throughout the years… but standing here in the dim tunnel, the slow trickle of the creek the only noise between them, he couldn't help but to wish this moment would last forever.

 

But, of course, he had to ruin it. After the comfort began to give away to nervousness, he quietly cleared his throat and offered up a timid smile. “I, um… I liked your singing… you’re really talented.”

 

To be completely honest, Gregg wasn't entirely sure what kind of reaction he’d expected… but he was fairly certain that what happened next wasn’t it. The complement only seemed to  _ terrify  _ the tall boy, who leapt up to grab his backpack and practically bolted past the blonde with a murmur of “I have to go…” In an instant he was gone, leaving the other teen standing in the darkness once more.

 

...Alone.


	2. Hic et nunc - Here and Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Halloween is in the air! And the fox is out to play...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who showed interest in this! ^^

“Gregg? Gregg! Hey,  **GREGGORY LEE!** Earth to Gregg…!”

 

Jumping a little bit in surprise, the blonde turned his gaze to the side and met the concerned red one of Mae, who then turned the same glance toward Casey. Pretending not to notice, Gregg broke into a grin and tilted his head. “Yeah, dude? Whats up?”

 

The sound of birds chirping along with the wetness in the air clinging all around them was reminiscent of the full day of rain they’d had already, thought to be honest he could barely remember most of it. Just another boring, lonely day in boring, lonely Possum Springs… nothing note-worthy, as usual.

 

“Are you okay, dude…?” Casey questioned with a concerned frown, moving to take a seat beside the blonde on the log he occupied. Mae moved to the other side, though she fell into silence, allowing the worried expression on bronze features to speak for itself. “We didn’t want to say anything, but… you’re not really acting like yourself, man. In fact you’ve barely said, like… a single thing all day. Is something up?”

 

Turning his dark blue eyes back and forth between the two of them, Gregg couldn't help the guilty feeling that began to settle in his stomach. An apologetic expression spread across pale features and he let out a small sigh, before giving them both a weak smile. “I’m sorry, dudes… I don’t know what’s with me. I’m chill.” Hoping to switch the topic as quickly as possible, he moved to stand and placed both hands on his hips while breaking into a wide grin. “So! What  _ crimes~  _ shall we do today?”

 

As both of his friends shared an unreadable look for a moment, he was certain they wouldn’t let it go… but thankfully, they both seemed to decide to drop it and stood, allowing the attention to instead be directed toward their future endeavors.

 

Still… in the back of his mind, the short boy couldn’t help but to wonder just how they would react if he dared to admit aloud what he couldn’t even accept inwardly.

 

* * *

 

The rest of October seemed to both crawl by and disappear in an instant, the rain finally starting to lighten up as it tapered off. The town was abuzz with chatter about the upcoming Harvest Festival, decorations filling every store front and lining the school’s hallways. The annual play was in the midst of being planned, but in all honesty neither Gregg nor his friends had much of an interest… old enough now that getting candy was completely out of the question, they often spent the entire night getting into a heap load of trouble (or at least, in comparison to their usual amount). 

 

This year they were planning on heading up to the abandoned glass factory, where the _real_ party was going on. None of them were really sure just who was hosting it, but they knew it would be far more interesting than anything _else_ that the damn town had to offer.

 

Angus had been avoiding him… or at least, the blonde assumed as much. The only times he saw the tall boy was at school, and even then it was only in passing. According to Casey (who shared a class with him), it was fairly common for him to miss school every so-often for days at a time without any sort of explanation and, considering how quiet the freckled teen ones, no one really seemed to notice. But the pale boy couldn’t help but to dread that it had been him personally that was causing such a thing and the lack of knowing was beginning to eat away at him.

 

Again and again he tried to let it go… but again and again, he failed. All he could think of was the way the slowly-moving creek glistened in golden eyes as a deep voice gently danced through the air. He tried to pretend it wasn’t there only to find his thoughts drifting to round brown cheeks dusted with soft freckles and a sweet little smile.

 

_ Fuck me... I’m really gay, aren’t I...? _

 

Gazing deeply into the blue eyes that the mirror was reflecting back at him, Gregg couldn’t help but to feel like the person he saw before him wasn’t himself. It was a sense of being…  _ lost _ , that he couldn’t quite find the right word to describe. The world was moving around him like a film he was watching, every second passing by in emptiness.

 

Forcing himself not to focus on it for too long, he grabbed hold of the costume he’d thrown together somewhat last minute. A busted up orange hoodie with a pair of black ears haphazardly sewn on went along with the cheap little fox mask he’d stolen from some douchebag kid. Dressing up had never really been his thing, but Mae had insisted and after she successfully convinced Casey, the blonde knew resisting wasn’t worth the effort.

 

Without a glance in the direction of the living room he left via the front door, unsurprised when neither parent called out after him. Standing in his front yard for only a moment, he broke into a smile as Casey’s piece of shit vehicle pulled up, music blaring just loud enough to make it vibrate. The back seat’s window rolled down suddenly to reveal who he could only assume was Mae, although he huge black cloak and ninja mask that left only her red eyes showing did an amazing job of hiding her identity. “C’mon, get in! It’s time to  **smash** things!”

 

Grinning from ear to ear, Gregg pulled open the passenger door and hopped in. The vehicle started up once again as he turned to look at Casey, only to pause a bit in surprise. “Wow, dude… sweet costume!”

 

With a quick glance, the taller boy broke into a smirk and motioned toward himself with a fake ‘stuck-up’ voice. “Oh, this? Just a little something I threw on…” Covering his usually dark red hair was a shoulder-length,  _ bright _ pink wig, which spilled over the front of what appeared to be a Princess costume - oversized puffy sleeves and tiara both included. “Yours is pretty badass too, dude!  _ Foxy _ , if I do say so myself.”

 

“Oh god, the puns! They burn!” Mae cried dramatically from the back seat, earning a round of laughter from her friends. Grabbing hold of a wooden baseball bat that was placed beside her, the small girl moved to lean out the window with it held in one hand while surveying the area. They were headed toward the edge of town, where the ‘bigger’ roads lead into smaller ones that trailed out to the woods… and, thankfully, there was a certain house she absolutely  _ knew _ they would pass by. “Casey, go faster!”

 

Cackles filled the air as the vehicle sped up, shooting down the street and past Mae’s aunt’s house. Readying the bat, the dark-haired girl lined up her target and the moment they came within range she swung. Instantly the sturdy mailbox snapped completely in half, before the top part - which had been struck - went  _ flying _ . Casey was forced to lean forward in an attempt to glance out the front windshield in order to watch with an impressed whistle as the object cleared  _ several _ nearby houses before landing a few blocks away. “Shit, Mae! Nice one!”

 

“Was that cement?” Gregg snickered, unable to stop himself from lifting a hand to cover his mouth as he turned to look at the girl seated behind him with ever-growing amusement. “Did she try to  _ cement  _ her mailbox down to stop you, dude!?”

 

“Hah! Probably,” The short being laughed, a devious look filling red eyes while she tilted her head upward proudly. “But not even the strength of cement can stop  _ Mae Borowski _ ! Take that, aunt mall-cop!”

 

“Yeah, dude! You tore that thing to  _ shit _ !” Came the blonde’s response, before they all broke into a few more giggles and settled into a conversation about the party they were headed toward.

 

It wasn’t exactly a long drive. The party was just a little ways past where they usually hung out, but the area wasn’t unknown, which was comforting to say the least… Yet still, when they pulled in to the location and saw the swarm of cars all clogged together, a sense of anxiety settled over the car once again.

 

Forcing himself not to focus on it (as he was there to have fun and get  _ crazy  _ with his friends, not linger on the empty feeling inside), Gregg kicked open the car door and climbed from it. As Mae joined him, he threw both arms out and held his head to the sky, letting out a long howl of excitement that was quickly followed by the ones of his two friends.

 

“Foxes don’t  _ howl _ .”

 

Three pairs of eyes turned to glance at the speaker, who jumped in surprise at the intensity in them all. It was some kid from another school and by the look of embarrassment on their face, they likely realized just how pointless and unwanted their opinion had actually been. It was with roll of dark brown orbs that Casey moved to get started, pausing only to allow his friends to catch up to him.

 

When they stepped through the doorway and into the area where the party was being held, the first thing they noticed was the overabundance of people...  _ everywhere _ . As the years went on, fewer and fewer people tended to care about the town’s actual ‘Har-Fest’ traditions - most of them staying home to watch spooky movies - but it seemed like the  _ entirety _ of the younger generation had decided to head here this year.

 

Almost everyone was dressed in makeshift, shitty costumes, which was fairly common in a town where there wasn’t enough stores to bother selling such things. A majority was easily recognizable, though there were a few people here and there that were hard to pin down. There was music blaring from somewhere, which filtered across a makeshift dance floor filled to the brim with moving bodies. 

 

…And the very best part was that broken objects were laying around everywhere, just  _ waiting  _ to be smashed to bits.

 

“Let’s fuck shit up!” Mae cried loudly, causing a large amount of people to turn and look at her, before loudly cheering. Swinging her bat expertly in one hand, she cast several looks around the area before taking off suddenly toward what appeared to be a large pile of still somewhat intact windows.

 

“We’ve lost her,” Casey chuckled, shaking his head as the sound of it shattering blended in with the loud music. “Not even God themselves can separate Mae from the chance to bust shit up.”

 

Laughing as well, Gregg couldn’t help but to grin in the girl’s direction and slowly shake his head. “That's a major understatement!” With an amused noise, he returned his gaze toward the taller boy and motioned forward, before the two of them headed after her in excitement.

 

* * *

 

Two hours and twenty boxes of breakable objects later the party continued to rage on, but as time passed Gregg was starting to feel it less and less. He’d hoped the energy of a chaotic night would help curb the ever-growing feeling of loneliness in the pit of his stomach… but even as he and Casey chatted with some random person in a cat costume, he couldn’t seem to stop focusing on it.

 

Thankfully, it seemed his taller friend was great at not only hearing, but also perception. With a quick excuse, the redhead took a gentle hold of Gregg’s shoulder and steered him away. After stopping a good ten feet from the main area, he turned his brown eyes in the quiet teen’s direction with a deeply concerned frown. “Are you okay…?”

 

Confusion spread across the blonde’s features before he grinned once again and nodded. “Yeah, I’m havin’ a blast! Why?” It was obvious by the look in his companion’s eyes that not a word had been believed… and, considering he’d been lying through his teeth, the older being couldn’t help but to be impressed. Slowly the smile faded and he let out a defeated sigh, before reluctantly admitting, “Okay, no… But it's not, like, a big deal or anything, ya know? Just some… Stuff…”

 

A disbelieving hum left the taller boy and his eyes narrowed slightly, taking in his jittery friend for a moment with a look of contemplation. Under the intense gaze, Gregg couldn’t help but to feel uncomfortable… like the other teen was capable of seeing into his mind and picking out his deepest fears. These feelings were only multiplied seconds later as the dress-clad boy crossed his arms over his chest and asked, “Does this have anything to do with that nerdy kid? Angus, or whatever?”

 

A look of horror overtook the short boy’s features, before he quickly cleared his throat and turned his face away (while silently thanking his past self for choosing a  _ mask _ ). “W-what? Dude, no. What are you talking about?”

 

Groaning loudly, Casey threw both arms up slightly for a second before fixing the blonde with a frustrated expression. “You can be honest with me, Gregg. We’re friends!”

 

A wince left the orange-clad boy’s lips and he forced himself to return his attention to his friend, despite the pain it caused. His chest began to tighten considerably, while his lungs begged for air as if he was being suffocated… try as he might, however, no words managed to come from him and the only thing he could really do was gaze at his friend with a look of utter agony.

 

With a slow sigh, the tall teen turned in the direction Mae had wandered off in and called out to her. Gregg found himself watching anxiously as she moved to join them, the constriction in his body suddenly giving way to complete nausea. He couldn’t even bring himself to nod in greeting when she approached while nervousness ate away at his every inch.

 

“Mae, dude,” Casey addressed with an unreadable voice, one hand lifting to motion toward the jittery blonde. “It’s time.”

 

Jumping in alarm, the blonde stepped back a little and began to shift his gaze between the two of them with a cautious expression. After confirming that no one was going to be jumping on him, he forced his voice to repair itself and managed to speak once again. “Time for…?”

 

“Ugh,  **finally!** ” The bronze girl cried out in what almost seemed like relief, before turning toward her best friend with the force of a shotgun. Reaching out, she grabbed on to both of his shoulders with a firm (well, gentle, for her) grip and caught his gaze with her own intense one. “Gregg… buddy… friend… we know you have the hots for Angus, okay? We know. There’s no reason to hide it.”

 

The feeling that overtook the short boy in that moment was virtually indescribable. There was an inner dread that had been puddled at the pit of his stomach, festering and waiting for this moment… and now that the time had arrived, it was beginning to bubble up and threatening to spill from his lips along with everything he’d eaten that day. Processing became impossible and all he could manage to blurt was, “You’re gonna beat the shit outta me, aren’t you?”

 

Gregg had to admit, he definitely wasn’t expecting what followed his words. Both of his friends looked  _ horrified _ , before sharing a glance so intense he could practically  **feel** the concern that was surrounding them like a dense fog. In an instant, the dread in the blonde’s stomach began to lessen and hope started to tentatively replace it as Mae turned to him once again. “Dude, no! What the fuck!? We want to  **help** you!”

 

“Help… me?” The older teen questioned with a tilt of his head, his golden eyebrows furrowing in bafflement at the very idea. Attempting to accept that the both of them were just…  _ fine  _ with him liking another guy was difficult enough, but if they were offering what he thought they were… “With what?”

 

“Uh… talking to him?” Casey questioned with a tone of obviousness, one hand lifting to motion upward. Lifting his gaze slowly, the short boy felt his entire chest tighten suddenly at the realization that Angus was, in fact, standing  **right there** , hidden up in one of the factories offices and visible through it’s glass window. “We wanna, like… be your wing-dudes, you know? Set this thing up.”

 

The last few words fell on deaf ears as everything surrounding them faded away. For that moment, all Gregg saw was the deep-skinned ginger, who was staring down at the party below with a depth in his alluring gaze that revealed he wasn’t actually  _ seeing  _ it… and the breathless blonde couldn’t help but to wonder just where such a beautiful mind could be drifting. A nearby barrel bonfire was adding a warm, copper glow to freckled cheeks and ginger curls seemed aflame under the dm light… everything about him was… was  _ magic _ ...

 

“ _ Gregg _ ?”

 

“Yeah?” It took another moment before the short boy realized he was still staring and he struggled to return his attention toward his friends - which, sadly, also caused the return of the rest of reality and the emotions it caused. Previous thoughts of dread were replaced by nervousness, alongside an uncomfortably airy feeling that he could only describe as something like bubbles floating around in his stomach.

 

Mae’s red eyes gazed toward Casey, before she raised her eyebrows in an expression Gregg couldn’t quite pin. When the redhead gave a nod in response she placed a hand on her hip and turned back toward their close friend once more. “Why don’t you try… you know…  _ talking _ to him?”

 

For a moment the blonde’s lips parted to give an excuse, but as he turned and caught sight of the mysterious stranger once again it fluttered away into nothingness… why  _ didn’t  _ he try that? Although he had serious doubts about such a stunning person being interested in him (even  _ if  _ he happened to be attracted to men), the very least he could do was try to be a friend… after all, he knew for certain now that he wasn’t going to be able to let this go.

 

_ Yep, pretty damn sure I’m gay. Fuck. _

 

Stepping forward without a word, the short boy forced himself to take in a deep breath and puffed his chest up for confidence. The flimsy staircase up to the office creaked in protest but he refused to let it deter him… being afraid was becoming far too exhausting and he was  _ more _ than ready to move on from that.

 

...Sadly, he hadn’t really considered  _ what  _ to talk about and looking back, he realized that Mae and Casey had probably been offering to help with that more than anything. Regardless, he summoned every ounce of courage possible,  _ doubled  _ it, and peaked into the room with a smile. “Hey!”

 

His sudden appearance seemed to catch the timid boy off guard, golden eyes jumping up from the chaos below and resting on the person before him. Confusion filled them and in that moment, the realization that he was still fully dressed in a costume hit Gregg and amplified his confidence considerably. It was vastly assuring to know that if he royally fucked this up (again), at least the tall boy wouldn’t have any idea who he was ( _ this  _ time).

 

A few seconds passed by and once again and it almost seemed as if Angus was waiting to see if he would remain standing or turn to walk away. When it became obvious just which of the two was correct, he gently lifted a hand and waved. “Hey…”

 

“Angus, right?” The blonde questioned, before he suddenly stopped to clear his throat. Although never really one to be self-conscious about his own voice, he had to admit that it sucked at times to have one so easily recognizable… forcing himself to deepen it slightly in an attempt to better conceal his identity, he continued the conversation unfazed. “What’s yer costume supposed t’ be?”

 

Once again appearing a bit surprised, the tall boy glanced down at himself momentarily, before shrugging. His ‘costume’ consisted of a pair of jeans and a hoodie, both in rather shitty conditions. “...A normal person, I guess?”

 

Laughing a little bit to himself, Gregg couldn’t help the grin that crossed his lips. It only grew when those  _ flawless  _ golden eyes lifted to meet his own up close for the first time and he felt his heart stop dead in his chest. Without thinking he moved closer, unable to resist the urge to see just how deep they really were. “That’s not really a costume, is it?”

 

A few seconds of silence followed his question, broken only when Angus gave a small shrug and averted his gaze in what seemed like nervousness. “More so than you’d think.”

 

Forcing himself not to let the strangely saddening answer make his heart melt to pieces, the foxy teen mimicked the shoulder movements before placing both hands on his hips in an attempted show of confidence. “Normal’s overrated, anyway. I mean… who wants to be ‘normal’? Talk about  _ boring.” _

 

In the moment that followed, Greggory Lee knew that he was helpless and that from that point on, nothing would be the same. Because when the freckled boy lifted those stunning golden eyes once again and smiled, before letting out what must have been a very soft giggle, he fell  _ instantly _ . His heart twisted with longing, his entire body  _ aching  _ to reach out and wrap both arms around the person before him and never, ever let go. The grin that crossed his own face was impossible to resist and he couldn’t think of anything to say other than, “I’m a fox!”

 

Reaching up, the taller boy took a moment to adjust his glasses before giving his company a couple of glances up and down. The next few words were spoken so casually that the pale boy was certain that his heart stopped completely in his chest and he was pretty sure he wasn’t going to be forgetting the sound of them anytime soon. “...A cute fox.”

 

It was a struggle to try and hide the way the words affected him - especially considering this was technically his first time in this sort of situation - but somehow the spunky teen managed to brush it off in favor of smiling warmly as a response. “Why thank you! And you’re a cute person. Not a normal one, though.  _ Way _ cooler.”

 

It took him a moment to realize the words he’d spoken and once again, Gregg had to hand it to his reactive mind… that shit had been  _ smooth _ , and he knew if he’d hesitated too long he wouldn't have had the guts to allow it to fall from his lips.

 

Oh  _ boy  _ was he glad that he did, though. The instant reaction alone was worth it, those beautifully freckle-dusted cheeks turning a little bit darker with embarrassment (though it was barely noticeable in the dim light). Golden eyes sparkled with a complex emotion that the shorter boy couldn't begin to find a word for, but somehow felt deep within his own soul. The pull was strangely irresistible and the blonde couldn't help but to wonder just what it would be like to grab that baggy hoodie and pull Angus down for a kiss.

 

Before he could even begin to comprehend doing so, however, the moment was cut suddenly short by the sound of an  _ explosion.  _ Screams filled the air and for a second it seemed almost like a terrible Halloween prank…

 

...Until the entire building began to tremble and the people inside started to bolt for the exit as flames rose at an alarming rate, swallowing up the building whole.

  
  
  



	3. Igne natura renovatur integra - Through fire, nature is reborn whole

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As flames go and the building crumbles, secrets are revealed and a connection is made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: Mentions of suicide

The two of them stood frozen for several seconds, both pairs of eyes drifting out the office’s window and down to the area where the party had mostly been. It seemed like the bonfire had gotten out of control at some point and it was beginning to spread at an alarming rate across the building’s old, rotten walls, climbing upward and taking out several things in it’s path.

 

Below, Gregg spotted his two friends among the rising flames, both of them looking around instead of bolting like their peers. He saw Casey close his eyes and concentrate, opening them back up a moment later to lift a hand and point up at him. Both he and Mae wore a look of relief, only to have it torn from them seconds later when Angus cried out, “Bea!”

 

In an instant the blonde was following that golden gaze toward a section trapped between two conveyer belts. Both were aflame, the fire rapidly spreading across the floor to block off any path for escape. Standing in the middle of it was Beatrice, a look of panic on her ghostly pale features and her legs trembling beneath her. She was looking desperately for an escape, but her attention was taken away suddenly by the distinct sound of cracking above them.

 

The flimsy ceiling was beginning to crumble, tiny pieces of it hitting the ground in a rain of dust, Gradually, bigger and bigger chunks dropped until a deafening rumble filled the air and an entire section gave way completely… the group watched in horror along with anyone else still inside as chunks began to fall onto the belts that had Bea trapped, cracking them into pieces like eggshells. Dark eyes lifted and the pale girl saw as another piece broke free, before her legs gave out and she fell to the ground with a terrified scream.

 

But the rubble never hit her.

 

It was like something out of a massive news headline, or an action scene from a movie. Dozens of eyes watched on as Mae sprung forward without hesitation and  _ leapt  _ through the flames toward the frozen girl. Her own safety was the last thing on her mind, even as she jumped forward to put herself between her childhood best friend and death.

 

But, again… the rubble never hit her.

 

Instead, gasps of shock and alarm rung through the air as the giant chunk was lifted up by the tiny, scrawny girl, as if it weighed little more than an empty box. Intense red eyes seemed to only glow brighter under the flickering flames as she gazed down at the frozen figure on the floor for only a moment, before tossing the heap through a nearby wall and picking her up in one swift movement to bolt through the newly made exit.

 

The safety of his friend seemed to both calm Angus and make both he and Gregg realize that their own position was one of far greater risk. Once glance toward the nearby doorway showed the entire thing blocked with flames, which climbed up the staircase as if were made from wood. 

 

Panic began to fill the blonde and he moved to react in an instant, dark eyes turning toward the tall figure beside him in hopes of communicating an exit strategy… but agony struck him the moment he realized that the other teen was standing with both eyes closed and a look of what almost seemed like…  _ peace  _ painted across his beautiful features.

 

Accepting his fate. Angus was just… just accepting his fate… his… his  _ death. _

 

But Gregg wasn't about to let that happen.

 

Taking in a sharp breath, he turned toward the ginger and held out a hand suddenly, a soft noise regaining the other’s attention. Surprise met his determination, but he didn’t allow himself a second to stop and think as he held out one hand and asked, “Do you trust me?” 

 

It was a rather loaded question, yet the dark-skinned boy didn’t hesitate in the slightest to take the hold without a word. A spark of adrenaline filled the shorter teen and he moved to wrap both of Angus’ arms around his shoulders, before taking just one more breath to steady himself.

 

And then… he leapt.

 

It was shocking, the first time it had happened. But then again, he supposed it was for anyone with Forces. Casey and Mae had both experienced it suddenly as well, almost like a switch had flipped and the entire world was turned upside down. They weren’t exactly a widely accepted thing and in such a tiny town it was pretty much unheard of… or, well, pretty much always hidden. 

 

Forces were more like mutations that allowed very few people to do many extraordinary things. Casey’s superb hearing had plagued him since grade school and Mae had been horrified when she was forced to drop out of softball because the ball broke into pieces the second she hit it. 

 

It wasn’t just the sudden changes that made it so hard, either… even in big cities people with mutations were looked down upon and in a town like Possum Springs they were practically  _ hunted _ . The last person to be revealed ended up moving as far away as possible after basically being shunned by everyone around them.

 

...But as they broke through an open hole in the ceiling and soared high above the roof in a single leap, none of that mattered anymore. All he could feel was the tight hold grasping on to him and the gentle heat of Angus’ breath as he whimpered softly against the back of his neck. In that moment he was nothing but thankful for the mutation, not a single bit of regret befalling him at having revealed it.

 

Sadly, actually  _ landing  _ after a huge leap wasn’t something he was exactly able to practice much. This realization of course only dawned on him the instant gravity regained control and began to drag them back down to the earth. Panic filled his chest and the only thing he could really think to do is shift the taller boy just enough to take the entire brunt of the impact.

 

Slamming into the ground full-force sent a shock wave through his entire body, which trembled under the intensity. Thankfully, whatever mutation he had allowed his body to somehow survive such a feat, but it didn’t really help when he didn’t know how to properly use it. Although his body managed to hit the ground as if he’d been jumping just a foot or two, the speed of his motions caused a lack in traction and he ended up tumbling them both forward.

 

Limbs went flying every which way and the blonde could have sworn they rolled twenty or so feet before finally coming to a stop in a heap. A breath of relief left him before it was immediately replaced with a feeling of nausea so intense he had to throw a hand over his mouth to fight losing his dinner. The entirety of his vision was swimming around and he couldn't help but to curse the bitter irony of having such terrible motion sickness in combination with his Force.

 

 

A gentle touch against his upper back sent a wave of grounding through him and Gregg forced himself to open his eyes back up despite just how much he  _ dreaded  _ the other teen’s reaction, worried that it would instantly crush his heart. But to his surprise, those ethereal golden eyes were gazing at him in… in  _ concern _ .“Are you alright…?”

 

Attempting to nod only sent another wave of dizziness through the shorter teen, earning a small groan. It was forgotten in a moment, however, when reality caught back up to them and he turned to look at the ginger-haired boy with alarm radiating off of him in waves. “Who gives a shit!? Are **_you_** okay!?”

 

In that moment, right there, Gregg decided that frowns were not something allowed to grace such a beautiful face any longer. Up close, where he could see those breathtaking olden gems in their real brilliance for the first time, the sadness that they held deep within their depths made his entire heart scatter into a million pieces. A sharp pain threatened to shoot through him, but it dissipated the second the younger boy dropped his voice to a whisper and mumbled, “...I give a shit.”

 

Angus Delaney was definitely something special. Of that, the blonde was absolutely sure. Throughout his life a majority of people fought tooth and nail to try and silence him… he was referred to as ‘loud’ at least once a day and, generally, not in a positive sense. It was a struggle for him to stop talking most of the time, words usually spilling out of his lips without a thought… but here he was, for a  _ third  _ time, not really sure just what to say and yet strangely content with the silence.

 

When several seconds passed by with dark blue eyes just gazing in apparent awe, the taller boy cleared his throat rather shyly and began to look around. They’d landed in a more wooded area and nearby they could see the warm glow of the flames dancing alongside the flashing lights of emergency vehicles. It seemed as if they were a safe enough distance away that no one would happen upon them, allowing him to turn back to the pale teen with a soft-spoken, “...You saved my life.”

 

Surprise spread across the foxy boy’s features, before he broke into a grin and laughed a little. “Yeah...” He sighed in relief, his shoulders beginning to relax… he  _ had  _ saved the other boy, hadn’t he? It hadn’t even taken a second thought and he knew without a doubt he would do it again and again, as many times as it took, just to keep the taller boy from harm. “I mean, I guess?”

 

When he lifted his eyes toward the freckled teen, however, that smile fell into a more serious expression. Something about the complex look he was being given told him that he hadn’t been far off when he’d wondered if Angus was more than ready to just accept death. “...Why?”

 

“Why what?” Gregg replied before he could think too hard about it, knowing if he sat there and wallowed in the fact that this stunning boy was asking  _ why  _ he wanted him to live that he would crumble completely.

 

Ginger eyebrows furrowed in what almost seemed like frustration and for a moment, the blonde was convinced his redirection had worked. Unfortunately for him, the tall boy seemed to work up the nurve and clarified his meaning with an even softer, nearly inaudible tone. “...Why risk your life for…  _ me _ ?”

 

There it was. That chip in his heart, giving way to a crumble of emotions. Seeing such an ethereal being before him, golden and flawless, wondering just why  _ they  _ of all people deserved to live was just too much for him to take. In that moment he wanted nothing more than to pick the younger boy up and carry him away from whatever was causing him such agony… the intense need to protect the sweet boy was like nothing he’d ever experienced.

 

No! Thoughts had no place here! Because he knew if he stopped to think about it a second longer, he wasn’t going to be able to let it go… and he doubted that Angus wanted to spill his heart out to a stranger in a fox costume. Instead, he shifted and turned toward the other boy, both of them still seated on the wet ground that was squishing beneath them unpleasantly. It was lost on him, however, as the world suddenly began to melt away and he caught those endless eyes with his own once more. “Well, I wasn’t gonna let you die without doing _this_ first.”

 

Time began to crawl to a stop in the seconds that followed as Gregg leaned forward and pressed his lips tentatively against the sweet boy’s. A soft gasp of surprise met them, but within seconds golden eyes slipped closed and around them, everything faded away. It didn’t matter that they were in the middle of the woods, nor did it matter that they’d just escaped near death… hell, in that moment, the blonde didn’t even care about the entirety of Possum Springs or any sort of complications that surrounded it.

 

Those full lips were warm against his own, the feel of them sending a tremble down his spine that settled in the pit of his stomach like a warm, comforting friend. Before he could think both of his hands were reaching up to gently caress freckled cheeks and he vaguely became aware of the feel of a gentle touch against his chest. Everything about the moment was complete magic and he couldn’t help but to hope that it lasted forever.

 

Unfortunately, such things weren’t  _ actually  _ possible and reality certainly liked to send reminders of that in the most agonizing of ways. The sound of people approaching caused the two of them to jump apart in alarm, looking up as lights began to fill the trees. Voices were calling out, looking for any stragglers from the fire to offer up help to. 

 

A curse left the shorter boy and he forced himself to his feet, his gaze turning toward Angus. The younger teen’s eyes expression was unreadable, but his entire body was begining to tremble. “Can you walk?”

 

“I think so-” Came the response as the quiet boy took the hold, only to stumble a bit as he got to his feet. With a slight wince, he reached down to tug up one pant leg and revealed a rather mellow scratch, considering the ordeal they’d just gone through.

 

Despite how obviously un-fatal the wound was, however, the blonde quickly jumped in and wrapped one of his crush’s arms around his shoulders. Offering up a smile at the surprised expression his actions caused, he motioned toward the sounds of nearby people and offered, “Mind if I help you?”

 

A darker hue on freckled cheeks gave away the blush that the taller boy tried to hide by turning his face away, but the appreciation was more than obvious in the few words he mumbled. “...Thank you.”

 

“Fer what, dude?” The older boy questioned as he began to guide them in the direction of the calls. The question seemed to catch Angus off guard and even Gregg had to admit it was a bit of a silly one, but thankfully he managed to ride the wave of adrenaline to continue on. “I mean… I don’t know if this makes me seem like a complete asshole or whatever, but I saved you for  _ me _ . Cause, like… to be completely honest, you're the most stunning person  **ever** and there was  **no** way I was gonna pass up the chance to speak to you again.”

 

The moment of silence that followed his words were  _ agony _ , nervousness settling deep in his stomach once again. A fear of messing this up after so much progress filled his heart with dread and just as he was trying to blurt out an apology the taller boy admitted, “That’s… weirdly romantic.”

 

Grinning widely as a fresh wave of confidence knocked out all of his previous anxieties, Gregg perked up and helped the gentle teen through trees and into the gravel parking lot. A majority of the cars that had previously congested it were missing, replaced by a massive fire truck that was finishing off the rest of the flames among the rubble and a parametric treating some minor burns. The sides of the latter were stamped with the name of a nearby city, as Possum Springs was nowhere near big enough to house something so luxurious as a  _ hospital _ . The closest thing they had was a doctor who covered every field possible without having gone to school for a single one.

 

Mae and Casey approached first, relief spreading over their tired features as they realized he wasn't injured. Angus shifted a bit nervously against him and moved to step away, only to jump in alarm along with the other teens as a flash of light assaulted them from out of nowhere.

 

The same person who had unnecessarily pointed out their howling lowered what appeared to be a cell phone, before pocketing it and turning to take off suddenly. Instantly the entire group froze in a shared realization that, in saving the lives of all of those people they’d opened themselves up to a dreaded vulnerability. It was Mae who managed to react first, taking off full-speed after the disappearing figure with a cry of, “Delete that photo or I will  _ fuck you up _ !”

 

Casey let out a hushed string of curses before taking off after her full-speed, but their blonde-haired companion hesitated for a moment. Angus had a panicked look on his features like the other teen couldn't even begin to describe and he could have sworn he saw  _ tears  _ beginning to form in endless golden orbs. The expression was thankfully replaced with momentary surprise as the sound of Bea calling out caught their attention, both boys turning to look as she approached with a look of worry.

 

Forcing himself to settle on feeling content with the injured redhead being taken care of by his good friend, Gregg stole one last glance in his direction before taking off into the woods as well.

 

What felt like hours passed by as he ran, disappearing deeper and deeper into the darkness. Eventually his body finally betrayed him and he stumbled to a stop before falling to his hands and knees. Heavy gasps left his lips and he lifted one arm to,wrap around his chest as his lungs screamed in protest, the burning in them akin to the fire he’d been trapped in only moments before.

 

After several seconds of stillness he realized that no one had followed after him. Climbing to his feet once again, the blonde stuffed both hands into the front pocket of his hoodie and started off in the direction of the town. With one swift movement he pulled the flimsy fox mask off his face and tossed it off into the darkness, silently hoping to never see it again.

 

Everything was going to change after this… there was no doubt the person with the phone was going to be uploading that photo to the entire internet the moment they were out of the famous Possum Springs dead-zone.  _ Anyone  _ at the party could identify the three of them, especially since Mae didn’t exactly have any chill. The town was going to turn on itself to tear them apart and throw them out, banishing them for good.

 

Months ago, the thought of never having to return to this piece of shit town was like a salvation, a far-off dream he’d always desired but never believed in. But that had all changed now, the instant his heart had been pulled in by the gentle eyes of Angus… if he couldn’t return to Possum Springs, that meant never seeing the stunning dark-skinned boy again. He wasn’t exactly able to explain why, but for some reason the thought of not being capable of protecting the ethereal soul from harm was far worse than the fear of living in this town, outed as someone with Traits.

 

_ What if I’m not there, next time…? Would he still stand there… would he still just… let himself  _ **_burn_ ** _. _

 

The heavy question began to plague his mind the instant it had spring into it and he felt an intense weight drag down his shoulders. Even as he walked through his front door unnoticed and dragged himself up to his bedroom, the only thing he could think about was just…  _ why _ Angus felt life wasn’t worth living.

 

* * *

 

The following morning was filled with tension from the moment dawn started to break through the damp darkness. As colors rolled across the sky and the town came to life, the first faces of the day began to rise, ignorant just one last time, before everything fell to complete shit.

 

Mae and Casey both looked about as well as he felt when he pulled to a stop on his bike, pulling his helmet off. They both remained eerily silent as he removed a chained lock from his backpack and attached the object to a metal pole, before taking in a deep breath and preparing himself for just what was about to happen. Together, the three of them stood and began to walk into their school in solemn silence.

 

In the backs of their minds, they’d all still managed to hold on to the dream that the asshole with the photo would do the right thing and delete it… and while they’d  _ known  _ the probability of such a thing was extremely unlikely, the three teens couldn’t help but feel the painful jolt of their hope being shattered to pieces.

 

There were people  _ everywhere,  _ crowded around printed pages and chatting in what appeared to be a mix of excitement and fear. It was impossible to step into the front entrance, the congestion of students crowding around to get ahold of the photos extremely overwhelming. An overabundance of voices assaulted the air around them and Casey let out a wince, lifting his hands to cover both ears.

 

All three of the friends remained frozen in the doorway for several seconds, each of them holding their breath and waiting for the inevitable… soon enough, someone was going to turn around and point them out, pinning a target right on their backs. Minutes ticked on in agonizing silence, but to their surprise (and confusion) not a single person bothered to look up from their own groups of friends and spare a glance in their direction. In fact, no one even budged an inch as the Principal came storming out from the main office with a few other staff members.

 

“Move it along!” They snapped, each of them seeming about as on-edge as Gregg felt. Nervous glances were spared around the students, passing over the three friends before all of the ‘adults’ turned to head back into the safety of their walls. It took several seconds before people actually started to listen, wandering off with loud chatter still echoing after them.

 

Blue eyes turned to take in both of his friends and the blonde wasn’t surprised to find them seeming just as baffled as he was.  _ No one  _ had pointed them out in the photo… it was incredibly odd, considering there were at least a handful of people at the party who knew who they were. Once Mae was identified as being the chaos beneath the black cloak, it wouldn’t exactly be hard to point out just who her companions had been… yet even for the remainder of the day, the only whispers in the air were just  _ who  _ the mysterious people could possibly be.

 

By the time school was over, the fear of being exposed was eclipsed by another thought and the short boy struggled not to run  _ full force  _ toward the classroom he knew Casey was stepping out of. The redhead’s last class of the day was some bullshit about history that neither of them really cared about, but it was the singular one in which Angus also attended. Nervousness and excitement was bubbling up in his chest and he couldn’t help the grin that spread across his lips as the doors came open.

 

And then it faded… one by one the students exited, not a single one of them the alluring teen he couldn’t keep his mind off of. Concern started to overtake him and as the last person left he leaned in the doorway to give one last, hopeful glance around. His tall companion waited alongside him, remaining silent until Gregg moved to fix him with a frown that needed no explanation. “Naw, dude. He wasn’t here today.”

 

With a movement of one hand, the taller teen coaxed him down the hallway, starting up a whispered conversation as they headed for the exit. “Can you really blame him, though? I mean… He’s in the picture too, dude. And he’s like,  _ not  _ wearing a mask. People’ll gonna harass the  _ shit  _ ‘otta him to try and see what he knows.”

 

The dread that overtook the pale boy felt like a kick straight to the gut. He hadn’t even stopped to  _ consider  _ the fact that Angus had been in the photo as well… even though the quiet soul wasn’t suspected as being one of the people with Traits, he was the closest anyone had to finding out just who  _ was…  _ and the idea of people endlessly harassing him made the blonde’s new, strangely protective streak kick back into gear once again.

 

“Speaking of the, um… the picture…” The redhead cut in, the emotion in his eyes showing that he wanted to breach the topic just about as much as his shorter friend did. “We should, uh… probably all, you know… talk about it.”

 

A sigh of defeat slipped through Gregg’s defenses, his shoulders falling as he nodded in reluctant agreement. Silence stretched between them uneasily and they moved through the halls, determined to track down their third member.

 

* * *

 

Traveling toward one of their various ‘spots’ was usually full of joy, a chorus of laughters often following the trio around wherever they went… but today, all three of them made the trip in an unsettling quietness, Casey idly riding along on a skateboard while his two companions doubled up on Gregg’s dirtbike. Heading into the woods was nerve wracking, but once the redhead managed to clarify that no one was around they finally settled down just enough to all let out the tense breaths they’d all been keeping in.

 

“This is SHIT!” Mae declared before anything else could be said, removing a crumpled up paper from her pocket and tossing it to the ground in front of them. “Shit, shit, SHIT!” Pulling back one foot, she jerked it forward and sent the object flying off into the trees, disappearing from view. “FUCK that person and FUCK their damn phone!”

 

“Mae, dude!” The redhead cut in, reaching out to grasp both of her shoulders in his hands. A frown of concern was spread across his lips and Gregg could have sworn he saw tears forming in them, but he tried not to focus on it. “Chill, okay? Just breathe…” His words earned him a pout in response, though the anxious girl ended up crossing both of her arms and reluctantly following the advice. Warm, brown eyes glanced back and forth between the pair before he gave a shaky sigh and mumbled, “Look, we can figure this out… we just need a plan.”

 

Blonde eyebrows furrowed as the shorter boy tilted his head slightly, frowning. “A plan, huh?” He muttered, unable to keep a twinge of bitterness from his voice. For three teenagers who had lead their lives up to this point without  _ any  _ sort of plans, he was fairly certain they weren’t going to be able to master it now, of all times. “What kind of plan?”

 

Contemplation spread across Casey’s features as he lifted a hand, biting down on the tip of his thumb in thought. “Well, the first thing we need to do is keep our story straight,” He noted, brow eyes glancing between the two of them. “Where are we going to say we were last night, if anyone  _ does  _ ask?”

 

“Donut Wolf!” The red-eyed girl cried, throwing both of her arms up with an excited grin. It faltered seconds later, however, when both of the taller beings fixed her with an unamused frown. “Okay, okay, geeze… sorry…”

 

“Dude, they’ve got  _ cameras _ ,” Gregg reminded, before sighing and stuffing his hands into his pockets. One of them grabbed onto a folded up piece of paper that was deep within the material, waiting to be dealt with at a later time. For now, he tried his best to focus on the moment and figuring out just what they hell they were going to do. “We could say we were like, out in the woods, smashing pumpkins or some bullshit. I mean… what are they gonna do? Prove we weren’t?”

 

Sighing a little bit, the tall boy wore a look of steadily growing unease as he hung his shoulders and admitted, “That’s just it… they can’t prove we weren’t, and we can’t prove we  _ were _ . But it’s the best thing we’ve got… Okay, so we were out smashing pumpkins and in the distance we could see the glass factory catch fire, so we all rushed home. Does that sound legit enough?”

 

“It does to me,” Mae agreed, her lips pushed together in a tight line. The expression on her features was unreadable, but it was easily recognizable as one she generally wore during moments of serious conversation. She, like Gregg, had trouble not blurting out any and all of her thoughts in most given situations, so at times like this she did her best to ‘tape’ her lips shut as best as possible.

 

Nodding slowly, Casey let out what almost seemed like a breath of relief as he confirmed, “Okay… step one done.” Although it did little to settle the fear that surrounded the circumstances, it seemed that whatever flimsy set-up they were mashing together was at the very least bringing the tall boy some sort of comfort. “On to step two, which is…”

 

“...”

 

“...”

 

Silence stretched on after his words, the three of them all shifting glances toward each other in a growing sense of dread. They weren’t exactly sure…  _ where  _ to start, or what kind of things they would possibly need to be planning for. It was almost impossible to tell at this point, considering there was no telling just where this whole fiasco was going.

 

When it became obvious that none of them had any suggestions, the redhead’s shoulders slumped again and he groaned in defeat. Hanging his head, he shook it momentarily before finally muttering, “Step two… fucking  _ pray _ .”

 


	4. Si vis pacem, para bellum - If you want peace, prepare for war

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As it turns out, Gregg ISN'T the only one who is worried about Angus. 
> 
> ...Unfortunately, teaming up with someone who dislikes him can be a bit of a struggle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who continues to support this series! ^^
> 
> (I do apologize for the inconsistant uploading! The story is complete, however, so it will all be uploaded eventually 8D )

Although they’d tried to continue on their night’s enjoyment together, the three friends quickly realized that none of them were really feeling it. Casey left to go shoot at targets in the woods while Mae headed home, stating that she was supposed to be hanging out with her parents anyway. Gregg, however, found himself once again gripped by the dreaded loneliness that kept plaguing him as he wandered back into town and somehow found himself in the underground tunnel once again.

 

A tiny piece of him had hoped to happen upon Angus there, but he honestly wasn’t surprised to find no sign of the gentle boy. Regardless, his feet carried him over to where he’d first happened upon his crush and he moved to lean up against the same wall, sliding down into a seated position.

 

Why was it here of all places that the sweet angel liked to linger? It was dark and cramped, the emptiness of the tunnel only making him feel further and further alone. A heavy, indescribable sadness began to grip at his heart and weigh him down, every simple movement seeming to take ten times the amount of energy than usual as he reached into his pocket and removed the folded up paper inside.

 

Opening it up, the isolated boy let out a small sigh of mixed emotions. While the photo that had been taken of them at the party was the beginning of what was no doubt the end… he couldn’t help but to smile a little fondly at the sight of Angus, still leaning up against himself at the time it had been taken. Slowly he reached out, tracing one finger down the slightly blurry caption of freckled cheeks that truly did them  **no** justice. Memories of feeling soft lips against his own made his entire body feel warm and a smile managed to grace his features before they were replaced by the scene that kept plaguing him whenever he closed his eyes.

 

With a sigh, Gregg let his shoulders fall and shifted positions against the wall, sliding down until he was practically flopped against it like some sort of unconscious drunk person. Despite the fact that he  _ knew  _ it was only a photo, he found himself staring into the golden eyes printed on the paper he grasped desperately in his hands as if they would give him the answers he so desperately needed... but he knew there was no way to truly know just why such a perfect soul was so deeply sad without speaking to Angus himself. 

 

The sound of a meow echoing in the narrow area caught his attention and the blonde perked up, turning his gaze toward it. Seated nearby was the same cat that had been cuddled with the freckled angel that one time, tilting it’s head and gazing at him with what almost seemed like a calculating expression.

 

Pocketing the picture once more, the pale boy shifted positions and held out a hand as an offering. Even after calling out, he had to admit he was surprised as the pet started wandering toward him without hesitation, tail perked in interest. As it approached the sound of purring began to rumble off of it and before he could react it was climbing into his lap and laying down.

 

Dark blue eyes blinked down at his lap in surprise and for a moment, the short boy wasn’t really sure just…  _ what  _ to do. Pets weren’t really his thing - especially after the  _ sheep  _ incident - and he didn’t quite understand just what about them people bonded with so much… but, looking down, he couldn’t help but to smile as the creature grasped his hands in both paws and  _ forced  _ him to pet their head.

 

Running his fingers through unruly fluff, Gregg found himself pausing as a frown overtook him. Leaning slightly, he adjusted the feline just slightly to get a better look at whatever it was he kept feeling… pulling back some of the fur, shock filled him at the sight of what looked to be a rather nasty mark covering the entirety of the pet’s side. Alarm overtook the feeling momentarily as he realized that there was dried blood all over the fur nearby… only to be replaced in an instant by baffled confusion upon realizing that the wound itself was  **completely** healed over.

 

Gathering the pet into his arms, the blonde started up the staircase and exited the tunnel at a brisk pace. Thankfully, it seemed the cat was more than content to flop comfortably in his arms and as he made it past the edge of ‘main street’’ he slowed his pace in order to catch his breath before heading into the shittier side of Possum Springs.

 

Either his parents weren’t home or they didn’t care as he pushed the front door open and instantly headed upstairs. The attic was a great bedroom for someone who didn’t like the rest of his family and when he was younger, he used to sneak out the window to get away from it all… now, he just walked right out in the middle of the night and at times he found himself wondering if they ever wished he wouldn’t come back.

 

Placing the feline on the beg, Gregg watched as they shifted to make themselves comfortable before flopping down onto it. Leaning in closer to take in the damage, he ended up baffled once again at the realization that, although the blood matted in to scraggly fur was a few days old, the wound directly beneath it was completely scarred over.

 

After quick trip to his ‘private’ bathroom (more like a shitter and a sink, really), the tired teenager returned with a damp washcloth and took a seat beside the bundle of fluff. The sound of purring filled his ears and he couldn’t help but to smile a little bit as he gently began to wipe the blood off.

 

From there, though, things only became even more surprising. Considering his expertise in scars (having had at least a good 200 in his 17 years of life), he was pretty sure the one before him was at  _ least  _ two months old. The entire thing made no real sense to him and all he could really come up with was some sort of really,  _ really  _ stupid prank. 

 

With a heavy sigh, the blonde flopped back onto his bed and decided to use his energy thinking about something far more relevant to his life. The unease of not knowing was settling around him like dust in the air and he felt it beginning to weigh him down.

 

What if he  _ wasn’t _ able to make a difference for Angus…? What if he ended up making the freckled boy  _ more  _ unhappy, instead of helping him with whatever was happening? What if he put his entire heart into saving him only to have golden eyes close once more in acceptance when faced with death? What if he… what if he ended up  _ driving  _ the beautiful soul into doing something like that…!? What if, what if, what if-...

 

They just kept coming after that. Echoing through his mind, pointing out anything and everything that could go wrong. It nitpicked at past memories, seeming to piece together a string of events with no real relevance to prove to him just how much he would fail. For some strange reason, his own thoughts were doing their damndest to kick him down in the face of confidence… and he didn’t have the strength to get back up.

 

* * *

 

The following day started out similar to the last, the halls crowded with students who were speculating answers and giving theories. Honestly, Gregg found himself shocked every time he heard any name other than his own and it was… kind of comforting, in a way, that neither he nor his friends had been brought up as possible candidates.

 

...Unfortunately, when afternoon hit it brought dread alongside it. It was Mae who ended up delivering it, approaching the picnic table where her two friends were seated with an empty expression. Immediately, both of the boys gazed at each other in concern, before Casey scooted over and allowed her to sit. “Geeze Mae… you look like shit.”

 

Red eyes turned toward him and just…  _ stared  _ for several seconds, almost lifelessly. When they finally blinked, the bronze girl turned her face away again and let the news drop in a dead tone. “...I overheard my mom talking to my aunt. The cops think that… the  _ people  _ set the fire, so they’re trying to figure out who  _ they  _ are.”

 

Instantly, both of the older teens froze, twin looks of terror painted across their faces. Traits weren’t exactly widely accepted and in such a small town, there was no surprise that they were instantly being painted as being ‘criminals’. (Well… okay, they  _ were _ , but this time it was way different!) There was no doubt the local authorities were using this as an excuse to figure out just who was a potential ‘threat’ to their precious town. And the three of them knew that, should the truth come out, at least two of them were going to be tossed on the next bus out of there.

 

“ _ Fuck! _ ” The redhead hissed, before lifting his hands to cover his ears with a small groan of frustration. It was always hard for him to control his Traits usually, but when stress hit it became far worse. After taking a few deep breaths, he turned his attention back toward his friends in order to point out, “They’ll probably talk to Angus then, right…? He's the only person they know for sure, so I guess it's kind of… obvious.”

 

A frown crossed the blonde’s features and he parted his lips to respond, only to be cut off by Mae questioning, “You think he’d say anything?”

 

It was probably a little bit irrational to get so upset over a perfectly rational question… but Gregg wasn't exactly in a reasonable mindset. Thoughts of the perfect, soft-spoken boy were all that he really had to hold onto and his mind was quick to jump in and defend that comfort. “What the hell, Mae?! He's not some sort of asshole! Even if he  _ did  _ know - which he  _ doesn't  _ \- he's not gonna just…  _ turn us in _ , for fucks sake!”

 

Matching expressions of shock followed his words for a brief moment, replaced as anger overtook Mae’s face and she jumped off of the table. Turning to fix him with a rather cold glare, she stuffed her hands into her pockets and muttered in annoyance under her breath, before walking away. “You don't even know the guy, Greggory.”

 

After being frozen in surprise momentarily, the blonde swallowed down his nerves and turned to face the unreadable face of the younger boy beside him. Though Mae was more than willing to tell him just what was on her mind, the redhead just sort of… had a way of making sense of things when nothing else could. It was one of the things he loved most about his best friend and he was pretty sure that he would have fallen apart long ago without having Casey there to help pick up the pieces.

 

“I think,” the strangely calm redhead began, sitting back and blatantly ignoring the nearby bell that was ringing to signal the start of classes. “That you’re all caught up in the idea of Angus. Like… I don’t really understand why, but Mae has a point, man. You’ve talked to the guy… what, twice? I mean, I doubt he’d out us too but we can’t really know, you know? Not until it happens.”

 

The words were met with silence, but they had their desired effect- evident as dark blue eyes lowered to the ground and Gregg reached out to pull his legs up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them. He didn’t pay much attention as his companion left, his mind soaking in the words and attempting to process them.

 

Okay, yeah… he didn’t know Angus, but neither of them had been there… the moment shared between him and the soft-spoken was the best one of his life, hands down, and it almost felt like suggesting his crush would spill his secret just… wiped that all away. It was special… everything about it was so very important to him that any sort of threat to that was agonizing.

 

...Was he all caught up in what was just an idea? Maybe the magic of possibly having someone after being convinced he never would was running away with him, making a chicken out of a feather. They’d shared a kiss… so what? So what…

 

Reaching into his pocket, Gregg removed the folded up picture and held it up studying what he could make out of the beautiful boy. A mix of emotions began to swirl around in his stomach, confusing and agonizing… but as the actual, clear(ish) image gave way to the memories of that moment, he became aware of the singular one that was fluttering in his chest.

 

Protective. Thoughts of Angus immediately stirred up an intense protectiveness that he’d never encountered and honestly, he didn’t really know just what to do with it. 

 

Snapping at Mae, however, certainly wasn’t it, and he knew he owed his friend an apology. Jumping down from the table, he returned the picture to his pocket and headed back into the school in hopes of tracking her down (regardless of if she was in class).

 

* * *

 

Thoughts of his friend’s words continued to plague the foxy boy… but despite how badly his mind was trying to kick him down (using his best friend’s words, this time… clever bastard), his feet still carried him in the direction of Angus’ last class of the day in silent hope of at  _ least _ making sure he was okay.

 

Slowing to a stop some distance down the hall, however, Gregg caught sight of a face he recognized instantly. Beatrice was lingering outside the door he was headed for, a look of concern spread across her elegant features and dark eyes distant as they stared downward. After thinking only a moment, the short boy decided to hang back in an attempt to see just she was up to… was she just as worried about the gentle boy as he was?

 

The doors came open and students piled out, desperate to bolt from the building as fast as possible (and really, who could blame them?) But as they dwindled down, the pale girl’s face took on an expression that reflected the inner concern that Gregg was already feeling… and, sadly, the sight of someone so close to Angus also being fearful for him just made his heart twist more.

 

Stepping forward once, he paused to hesitate only for a second before continuing forward with his plan. The dark eyes of the person in question turned toward him in mild surprise as he stepped up to her, raising a hand to wave. “Hey, Bea! You seen Angus around…?”

 

From the complex dance of different emotions that crossed pale features, it was rather obvious that the younger teen was completely caught off-guard by the question and struggling to process. Only a moment later, her frown returned and it was quickly followed by that ever-present glare (or at least, when looking at him). “ _ Why _ ?”

 

Although completely aware of what the question had actually meant, Gregg did his best to avoid having to give answers to things he couldn’t even figure out himself by redirecting, “Well you’re his best friend and stuff, right? So I figured that asking you would make sense.”

 

“Yes, Greggory, he  _ is _ my best friend,” The tall girl snapped, doing little to try and cover up her transparent dislike for him. When he let out a quiet ‘ _ geeze…’  _ under his breath, however, she gave a frustrated groan and clarified, “I meant, why do you want to know?”

 

Ah, yes. Here it was, the question he’d dreaded being asked by just about…  _ anyone _ . Why did he care…? Considering he wasn’t even capable of figuring it out  _ inwardly _ , he opted to instead use a more reasonable explanation in response. “Well… I heard from Mae that the cops want to interview him about the whole, glass factory, Traits thing, or whatever. I wanted to… I dunno, give him a heads up, I guess.”

 

It was obvious from the look in her complex, dark eyes that she didn’t really know what to make of his (seemingly) sudden interest and he felt his throat beginning to close as anxiety ate away at him… he hadn’t really stopped to consider how much Bea dislike him (for some reason) and he couldn’t help but to fear the harmful things that she’d probably told her sweet best friend over the years.

 

To his surprise, however, the tall girl gave a defeated sigh and rolled her gaze, before she crossed her arms over her chest. “I haven’t seen him,” she clarified, before seeming to pause suddenly to give him a more calculated glance over. After a small hum of contemplation, she nodded to herself and continued on. “...But I  _ was _ going to swing by his house, if you want to come.”

 

The sudden change of heart did nothing to curb the pure excitement that the words filled Gregg with. His house…! Quick to jump on that chance, he nodded with a wide grin across his face and began to trail after her as she began to walk.

 

Attempting conversation was awkward, but they both knew that walking around in silence was likely going to be even more so. Thankfully, the older of the two was well-versed in starting up conversations… even unwanted ones. “So! How was the party, anyway? I mean, like… before everyone almost died, or whatever.”

 

Although not really sure what to expect, the blonde was still surprised as a distant look overtook the other teen’s features and she dropped her voice into a quiet, contemplating hum. “It was… amazing,” she admitted in a breathy whisper, only to seemingly snap out of it and turn toward him with a frown. “Wait… you guys weren’t there?”

 

While he was nowhere near as good as Casey at lying, the spunky boy was glad in that moment that he could at least manage to sound somewhat believable. “Nah… we were out like, smashing things. You know. In the woods. And... stuff.”

 

A skeptical expression crossed pale features, but the tall girl seemed to brush it off as she stopped walking and her elegant hand to point across the street. Following the direction, the realization that they were in the ‘nicer’ neighborhoods caught Gregg off-guard momentarily. “That’s it.”

 

The home in question was in the middle of the street, seeming to blend in completely with the rest. The yard was well-kept, a nice looking vehicle parked in the driveway and matching curtains in every window. Through the ones in the front he could see a rather nice looking living room, a large TV on one side and an empty sofa on the other.

 

His confusion must have caught Bea’s attention, because she caught his gaze with one that made his heart sink once again as she shook her head and muttered, “Don’t let it fool you.”

 

Before he could ask for clarification on what exactly that meant, the sound of approaching cars caught both of their attention and they turned to watch with a sense of nervousness clinging between them for different reasons. Although free of sirens, the sight of the police car was unmistakable, along with the familiar face of Mae’s aunt Molly as she stepped out of it.

 

 

The house was too far away to hear what was going on, but as the door came open the blonde felt a wave of confusion spread through him as he got his first real look ‘inside’.

 

Standing in the doorway was a round, pale-skinned woman, her ginger hair and dusted freckles the only real things about the gentle angel that he could place. The smile that crossed her lips seemed sincere at first, but the dark-haired girl’s words of caution lingered around him and he couldn’t help but to pick up on the change in the woman’s attitude once the police began speaking to her.

 

Within minutes the smile became visibly fake and she shook her head slowly, seeming to indicate that her son wasn’t home. Both officers shared an unreadable glance for a moment, before reluctantly nodding in acceptance and moving back toward their car with skeptical expressions. And, in all honesty, Gregg couldn’t really blame them… especially upon the realization that Angus’ mother was still  _ standing _ in the open doorway, waiting the car until it disappeared completely down the street before practically  _ slamming _ the door.

 

When he turned to look at the taller form beside him, the spunky boy was surprised to find her gaze on him, rather than the home in question. The expression on his face must have spoken the words he couldn’t even begin to string together, because she fixed him with a solemn expression and confirmed, “He’s home.”

 

“...How do you know?” Although he felt bad for questioning Bea’s words, the words slipped out of his mouth before he could stop them.

 

Thankfully, she seemed to understand the need, even as she fixed him with an exasperated gaze. “Because I already checked anywhere else he could have possibly gone, Gregg.”

 

A realization hit the blonde at these words and he found himself struck in a bit of…  _ awe _ , gazing at the dark eyes that were heavy with concern in a brand new light. He hadn’t really stopped to think about it much, but… she  **was** Angus’ best friend - which meant she knew more about him than  _ anyone _ else - and the fact that she was worried only further confirmed the inner dread that was becoming increasingly suffocating. Before he could stop himself he continued to push the subject, growing more and more tense as the seconds ticked on. “...What’s going on, Beatrice?”

 

In hindsight, it probably seemed pretty weird and uncomfortable to the tall girl that someone she barely knew (and strongly disliked) was suddenly becoming increasingly interested in someone she held dearly. Although seeming to respect his curiosity previously, the continuous line of inquiries were obviously causing her own to fill her mind. “...Why do you care so much?”

 

...That _was_ the question, wasn’t it? The ultimate one. Why _did_ he care so much? Like his friends had pointed out, he didn’t really know Angus, and the soft-spoken boy could easily be quite different from the image he was starting to build up in his mind… but at the same time, he wasn’t exactly presuming the tall boy’s personality so much as getting caught up in the desire to protect him. And something about the look in those dark eyes as Bea studied him cautiously told him that she completely understood without him needing to fumble over the words. “...I think you already know.”

 

The response seemed to catch her off guard, a momentary look of shock crossing her heavily made-up features before she glanced toward the eerily still house. Despite how the silence stretching between them was amplifying his antsyness, he forced himself to give her several moments to process and felt a tiny bit of relief when she finally spoke. “Yeah… yeah, I do.”

 

No more words left her, but the dark-haired girl seemed to relax slightly as a light came on somewhere else in the home. Only then did she move to start walking away, only to pause and wait until the blonde tore his eyes away and reluctantly followed.

 

When they were turning off the block the tall figure let out a tense sigh, reaching into her jacket pocket. Gregg watched in surprise as she removed a pack of cigarettes, removed one, brought it to her lips, and lit it up all with one fluid movement. After inhaling and exhaling, she finally returned her attention to him and answered his previous question with a somewhat monotone, “I can’t tell you what’s going on. It’s not really my secret to tell and it wouldn’t be really fair to Angus, especially because he only told me a few months ago. But…”

 

Stopping suddenly, Beatrice turned and really  **looked** him in the eyes for the first time in… well, for the first time at all, really. He wasn’t sure what it was about him, but the far paler teen had only ever stared at him in contempt since he’d first started to hang out with Mae in middle school. Now, however, that judging gaze was replaced with one of calculation, like she was attempting to read into his very soul. Whatever she found she seemed to respect on at least some level, because she let out a small, tense breath and solemnly confirmed the very  _ least  _ of his fears. “...But it’s not good.”

 

There was honestly no way she could have predicted just what effect her words had, but it seemed that either way she wasn’t entirely interested in finding out. Turning away, the tall figure began to walk off down the street, her body language giving away the fact that she in no way intended for him to follow after her.

 

He must have stood there for at least ten minutes, his dark eyes drifting down the street and toward the seemingly harmless home. Thoughts of just what went on inside were beginning to weigh him down and it took every ounce of strength he had to drag himself halfway back to the dreaded house to take a seat on a bench where he could keep an extremely close eye on it, as if simply being outside was any sort of comfort for the angel trapped within the prison.


	5. Nunc scio quid sit amor - Now I know what love is

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Even though he hadn't approached the other boy's home with a plan... Gregg wasn't really expecting what ended up coming from his actions. But, either way, he knew it was going to be a day he would never forget...

 

Honestly, he hadn’t really been sure what he was expecting, just sitting there and staring. Considering what a dick his mind usually was, it was more than happy to jump on the opportunity to kick him even further down. The thing was… this time, it wasn’t himself that it was picking at, but rather any number of things that  _ could _ be going on inside. The later and later it got, the more and more terrifying the thoughts were, until he could clearly picture images of his beautiful, gentle crush being harmed in more ways than he wanted to admit.

 

Thankfully, the sound of someone saying his name quietly pulled him out of his thoughts… but as his eyes slowly opened up, the blonde was surprised to find himself laying flat on the bench, soaking wet under the misty morning light. It must have rained sometime during the night and, apparently, it had failed to wake him for in the  _ entirety  _ of his time passed out there like some sort of drunk.

 

The realization that someone had spoken hit him suddenly and he lifted his gaze, only to feel his heart stop as his breath caught in his throat. Although the heavy fog of early morning mostly obscured the other teen’s face… there was no mistaking those gravity-defying ginger curls, even stuffed under the hood of a heavy jacket. Angus was wearing a timid frown of concern and for several seconds Gregg just… stared. It took  **every** ounce of his effort not to just jump up and hug the tall figure as the pure  _ relief _ of seeing him alive overwhelmed him. Thankfully, his mind decided to pause and think for once and he held back, knowing it would probably be a little weird to enthusiastically hug someone he  _ technically _ he didn’t know.

 

Unfortunately, his mind was so busy trying to hold back that he couldn’t really think of anything to actually...  _ say _ . Seconds ticked by in silence before his inner anxiety forced words from his lips, despite how stupid they ended up sounding. “Hey! Uh… it’s Angus, right?”

 

Strangely, the awkward response pulled a somewhat shy smile across full lips, before the taller boy let out a sound that the spunky boy could only describe as an angel, giggling softly among a sea of fog (and in all actuality, that’s exactly what it was). “Mmhmm… that’s my name.”

 

_ Finally  _ springing to his feet, the blonde haired boy felt his entire world whirling around him in a mix of emotions so intense he felt as if he was going to burst. The initial wave of reassurance was giving way into an overwhelming one of excitement, but along with it came the realization that he hadn’t actually planned just  **what** to say to the gentle teen, once he could.

 

Thankfully - and to his surprise - it was the ginger who spoke first, his voice seeming to drop even lower in a show of nervousness. “Um, so… my brother said you were out here all night. Like… sleeping. In the rain.”

 

Just as Gregg was opening his mouth to reply, a single word rerouted his attention and he fixed the other boy with a surprised expression. “Brother?” He repeated curiously, but the momentary distraction was forgotten as soon as he caught sight of golden eyes (which, sadly, were mostly obscured by a combo of thick glasses, dense fog, and the sweatshirt’s hood, still partially covering ginger curls). Realizing he probably owed  _ some _ sort of explanation, he lifted a hand and began to nervously massage the back of his neck, as if doing so could ease the anxiety bubbling up inside of him and help the words come out a little easier. “Uh, yeah! I was, um-...”

 

“Watching my house...?” 

 

Lips parted, but no sound came out as the shorter boy gazed upward at his stunning crush, his entire body frozen in shock. When it was put that way, it sure did make him sound like a bit of a...  **_stalker_ ** , didn’t it? He hadn’t really stopped to think about how it would come across to Angus… and, now that he  _ was,  _ having some guy he’d barely talked to sleeping outside of his house was probably coming across pretty weird... to say the least.

 

But, once again, the alluring angel managed to surprise him by giving a small, casual shrug, along with a softly mumbled, “I don’t exactly mind.”

 

A second tornado of emotions threatened to pick the excited boy up and he instantly stepped down on it, instead letting impulsiveness take over once again as he blurted, “Do you wanna, like... go s-?”

 

“Yes.” The answer was given before he was finished speaking, only to be followed by the freckled boy hanging his head in what almost seemed like  _ guilt.  _ “Sorry…” That sweet, deep voice whispered seconds later, and Gregg felt the overwhelming need once again to just pick him up and never,  **ever** let him go. 

 

“Hey, dude! No reason to apologize, okay?” The louder boy assured with what he hoped was a warm smile, before reaching out to motion for them to begin walking. “I asked you.” Despite the previously, hastily given response, he couldn’t help but to find himself a bit amazed as the gentle soul trailed after him, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his large hoodie. With hopes of redirecting the topic, he gave another wide grin and dared to ask the first question of what would - if he was lucky - be a long series of getting to know Angus Delaney. “You wanna get breakfast?”

 

The unease that the words caused was visible, even in the steadily lifting fog. A shaky breath left full lips and for several seconds, the blonde was certain he’d fucked things up  _ again _ … but  thankfully, the timid deep tone floated through the air in a whisper he could just barely hear. “Sure…” A brief pause followed, cut short once again with what almost sounded like… concern? “Uh… we should probably get you something dry to wear, right? I mean… I don’t want you, like, getting sick and stuff because of me…”

 

A pain in his chest signaled the feel of the older teen’s heartbreaking all over again. Everything about this gentle soul just brought out an intense sense of overprotectiveness and he had to hold himself back from literally  **snapping** about how much it wasn’t Angus’ fault! Thankfully, he managed to stop himself before making that mistake, instead wearing a deep frown and trying desperately to catch those pained eyes with his own. “Dude. You didn’t hold me at gunpoint and force me to sit out there, okay? I wanted to. If I get sick it’s on me, not you. Promise.”

 

The reaction caused by the words was unfortunately unreadable, but Gregg desperately hoped they at least made  **some** impact. The conversation was cut short after that as he pushed open the front door of the Clik Clak diner and allowed the tall boy to follow in after him. The building was mostly empty, the early morning keeping a majority of the town comfortably warm, still within their beds. Only a single unfamiliar person was there, seated at the counter with a newspaper and a cup of coffee, sipping as they read.

 

Although he’d repeatedly admitted he didn’t really know his crush that well, the blonde was capable of recognizing a change in his body language. Tension seemed to weigh his precious angel down and he once again struggled to keep back an army of questions that no doubt would just push the other teen further away. Instead, he motioned to a seat and turned toward the front, where the server was idly scribbling on a napkin out of boredom. “Hey!! We want pancakes!!”

 

Annoyance spread across their face, but they turned away and went about getting the order ready anyway. After taking care of that, the spunky teen practically skipped over to the booth and slipped into a seat, opting to take the one across from Angus in hopes of getting a better view of his… well,  _ everything _ . 

 

Here is where things, unfortunately, started to get awkward… with Mae and Casey, conversation over food came incredibly easy, as it usually did. But being alone with this timid soul was considerably different and he found himself starting to second-guess everything he could think of to say for several seconds before finally managing to turn his mind off in order to run completely on adrenaline (as usual). “So, uh… wild night at the glass factory, huh?”

 

The small smile that crossed full lips made his heart flutter suddenly and Gregg found his breath catching his throat once again as the alluring boy gave a small nod of agreement. “Yep. Pretty wild.”

 

Beginning to idly move a few objects around on the table without really thinking about it, the older boy continued on the line of conversation with a cautious, “I saw you in the picture and I was like, ‘Whaaat?’ Cause, I mean… yeah. Didn’t really think of you as a party person, I guess? Not that, like… I’m presuming your personality or anything…”

 

The wave of confidence he’d been riding began to crumble as he stumbled over his words, but it seemed the fumble was lost on the freckled boy, who appeared to be growing steadily more confused as he went on. “But, you were… there...”

 

Horror struck the blonde instantly, his entire body freezing like a deer caught in headlights. A sharp, nervous breath left his lips and he spared an anxious glance around, before leaning in with a look of uneasiness on his face. “You… knew that was me...?”

 

Of all of the expressions he’d managed to see painted on that beautiful face, this one was by far his favorite. Angus was actually openly  _ looking  _ him with a gaze that questioned whether or not he was completely serious. It matched up perfectly with his soft words, spoken in a tone that was slightly less timid than usual (and extremely  _ beautiful _ ). “Was I... not supposed to...?”

 

For a few seconds silence stretched between them, cut short when a silly grin spread across Gregg’s lips and he let out a burst of (very loud) laughter. Golden eyes widened slightly in alarm, but the older boy struggled to stop the giggles as he leaned back in his seat, both arms around his stomach. It was nearly a full minute before he finally managed to settle down, attempting to wave his hand to ease the confused guilt that was visibly plaguing his beautiful crush. “Sorry! It’s just… like, I was  **so** nervous to talk to you again because I thought you had no idea it was me and this whole time, but you totally did already! I was like, ‘how do I go about this?’ and all overthinking it, making myself all nervous… so I’m kinda, like, relieved, I guess.”

 

Before any sort of response could be offered up, the server stepped up to the table and handed off two plates of mediocre pancakes. The Clik Clak’s food wasn’t exactly great, but the only other ‘restaurant’ within walking distance was Pastabilities and although the blonde was more than happy to have pizza for breakfast, it wasn’t open this early.

 

As the server walked away, one glance back toward Angus brought back the intense waves of concern that had started to eat away at him before. Golden eyes just sort of…  _ stared _ down at the plate, the tall boy seeming almost as if he'd frozen completely. He appeared to be unaware of the fact that was being rather openly watched, and as seconds began to stretch on into minutes Gregg’s heart ached more and more.

 

_ Why won’t he eat…? _

 

A realization hit him and he cursed himself out inwardly for being so inconsiderate. “Sorry… are you like, allergic to anything? I really should’a asked.”

 

Seconds continued to tick on in agonizing silence before Angus finally seemed to come back to reality… or at least, partially. His eyes still didn’t lift from staring numbly at the food before him, completely unreadable behind the thick lenses that shielded them. “What…? Oh… I, uh...  don’t really know, I guess...”

 

It took every ounce of strength that Gregg had to not turn and  _ directly _ ask to why the gentle soul wouldn’t eat, if the reason wasn't allergies. But as he leaned in an attempt to try and at least get  _ some _ sort of inkling of just how the ginger-haired boy was feeling… something else caught his attention instead. “Is that a  **bruise** ?”

 

A sharp, shaky breath slipped from full lips before the tall boy clamped them shut. From up close, the concerned blonde was able to look deep into golden eyes as the perfect, gentle angel began to stumble, “Uh, so… my brother was playing with some video game thing… it's got, like, those controls that you swing around or whatever… he wasn't holding on or something, I guess. But anyway… it was an accident and, I mean, it was probably like, my fault anyway, so…”

 

Silence stretched on between them, the concerned teen taking his time while carefully gazing deep into those pained orbs, trying to read every bit of info he could in them. It must have been at least two minutes before he muttered ‘fuck it’ and stopped holding back. “That's some  **bullshit** story, dude.” As much as he’d wanted to approach the younger boy with caution, he wasn’t about to just accept something so obviously  _ rehearsed _ .

 

The horrified expression that took over that sweet face left a bad taste in his mouth that no amount of extra syrup could cover. It was obvious no one had ever bothered to call Angus on something like this and the thought of dozens of people just...  _ accepting _ the fake excuses without concern caused his heart to twist in agony.

 

In all honesty, holding back in the moment that followed was the single most difficult thing the blonde had ever been faced with. Although he was no Casey, he managed to pick up the soft whimper that the tall boy let out, the sound instantly sending a shard of…  _ anger  _ into his heart. Golden eyes were sparkling just slightly with tears and Gregg could clearly see himself storming out of the diner and up to the freckled boy’s front door with a pair of knives and Mae at the ready. 

 

What kind of… **asshole** could hurt somebody so very sweet? How the fuck did someone look at his precious, freckled face and just think of… of _hitting_ him? Rage began to stew within him and he did the only thing he could to distract from it - speak without thinking. “So… how are your pancakes?” 

 

It was only after the words left his mouth that he realized the plate had yet to be touched, the minuscule square of butter that had been plopped on top melted into a sea of liquid. Even the silverware remained wrapped in the ugly cloth it came with, the distracting shine of the metal that poked out mocking the growing unease.

 

Before anything more could be said he stood, blurting out a quick ‘be right back’ and practically bolting for the diner’s exit. At his quick pace, he completely missed the pair of eyes that stared at him intensely from the counter, a calculating gaze lingering only a brief moment as if to confirm something. They then turned slowly, dancing across the room to take in the sweet boy left seated alone and confused at the table.


	6. Luceo non uro - I shine, not burn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Angus and Gregg head into the forest for some 'alone' time, things end up heating up... 
> 
> And then catching fire.

Practically stomping around the outside of the diner, Gregg came to a stop near the back entrance and turned to kick the dumpster beside him. A series of curses left his lips and he placed trembling hands on his head as he hunched over with a groan of agony and anger. “ **Fuck** ! Damn it! How do I keep messing shit up so fucking much?!”

 

It had taken a lot, but he supposed a combination of exhaustion and concern so deep it was making his stomach turn had a way of trying his patience. It seemed like every time he opened his mouth he just ended up making the situation  _ worse… _ which was honestly something he’d heard a lot throughout his life. But the past was far different from now… back then, nothing had mattered to him. Now… Now he's found his  _ everything.  _ And he couldn’t lose that...

 

The suddenness in which he was embraced from behind made the distraught teen jump slightly, but the moment he realized just  _ who  _ was holding on to him he let out a shaky breath and felt most of his tension leave with it… Angus was firm against his back, but was holding on to him in a gentle hug as if handling a delicate piece of artwork. His deep, quiet voice could only be described as  _ silky  _ as he just barely whispered into the shorter boy’s ear. “You aren't messing up… promise…”

 

Closing his eyes, the older boy allowed his mind to turn completely off and instead opted to sink into the warm embrace, his entire body practically  _ melting  _ in the other boy’s gentle arms. He must have stayed there a good five minutes before reluctantly forcing himself to move away so he could instead turn to face his crush. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, however, the realization that he’d been caught childishly kicking things dawned on him and his face began to flush with embarrassment. “Uh-... Sorry.”

 

“It’s okay,” came the immediate response, surprising him a little bit even as the sweet soul offered up a soft smile. It was replaced seconds later, fading into a familiar apologetic frown that Gregg was beginning to realize was a sort of ‘default’ expression for beautiful, soft features, as they almost always seemed to be wearing it. “Its… not you. Its, um… its me. I'm sorry, I just-...”

 

It took Greggory about four seconds to realize just where this was going and he lifted a hand, waving the words off before Angus had a chance to put himself down further. “Naw, duder. I’m just hella tired. You’re amazing!” Dark blue eyes, already staring openly, didn’t miss the soft blush and look of surprise that took over the angel’s features and he broke into a grin, reminding himself to shower the angel with compliments later. For now, though, he had something else in mind. “Hey! You wanna hang out?!”

 

Momentarily he completely forgot about school, but in that instant it didn't particularly  _ matter.  _ The younger boy seemed just about as interested as he was in attending, because he didn't even hesitate as he nodded slowly and quietly agreed. “Yeah…” It was then, to the blonde’s surprise, that he did something unexpected… although his tone was still soft, there was a hint of worry in it that no doubt explained his willingness to be more ‘firm’. “But… we need to get you something to, uh… to wear. You’re still wet…”

 

Stunned for a moment, the foxy teen lowered his gaze and realized that, although his clothes had dried slightly, they were still  _ considerably _ damp. But in complete honesty, he couldn't even feel it, too excited and happy to just be in the angel’s  _ presence.  _ Something told him that this wasn’t about to be dropped, however, and so he reluctantly nodded in agreement and confirmed, “Alright, alright… But only for you.” A toothy grin spread across his lips at the instantaneous blush that spread along freckled cheeks, but he forced himself not to comment on it. “I kinda needed my bike to get there, anyway.”

 

Although he had yet to mention exactly  _ where  _ the place in question was, Angus didn’t seem to mind, instead deciding to just…  _ trust  _ him as he motioned for the taller boy to follow and started off. It was only after they reached the end of the block that he finally paused, frowning to glance back at the building with an admission of, “Shit… I probably should’a paid, huh?”

 

“Don’t worry about it,” The gentle boy assured, though he gave no further explanation as to exactly what the words meant. 

 

After just a second to decide that he didn’t particularly care in that moment, Gregg offered another wide smile before he motioned for the angel to follow after him and began walking. And despite all that happened so far... once again he found himself in shock that soft footsteps fell as the ginger trailed along at his side, both hands still stuffed into his oversized pockets. 

 

Nerves threatened to stunt his ability to speak once more, but the older teen decided to tell them to fuck right off and instead let his manic side figure out just what to say - since he seemed to be failing hardcore at it, so far. “So! What do you like to do? Like, for fun and stuff.”

 

He was admittedly relieved when the gentle soul was able to reply after a brief pause, knowing very well that he would have finally snapped if his crush wasn’t even able to answer  _ that _ . “Um… I like to spend time on the, uh-... computer… I guess…?”

 

Dark blue eyes took on a look of awe and the older boy couldn’t help but to perk up with excitement. “Woah!” He declared, earning a glance of alarm from the teen beside him. “That’s so cool! Are you like, some sort of hacker, or something?”

 

Smiling a little bit in amusement (and good god, could Gregg get  _ used  _ to that!), Angus slowly shook his head and explained, “Oh no, I don’t like… hack, or anything. I just, uh… read a lot, I guess. Like… research, and stuff…”

 

The look of astonishment that crossed the pale boy’s features must have caught the taller boy off-guard by the expression on his own confused face, but it in no way matched up to the alarm in which he jumped as the blonde perked up with exuberance and loudly declared, “Shit, you’re all smart and stuff too!?” There was  _ something  _ about the frown that overtook the younger boy following his words that told his companion he was about to disagree, but Greggory was quick to cut that off by lifting a hand to point a short distance away. “That’s my place, by the way.”

 

It almost seemed as if the gentle teen had forgotten just where they were, by the way he began to look around, taking in the area. It was on the very outskirts, closer to the woods than most people’s homes, and a majority of the building had  _ definitely _ seen better days. Still… there was something about the deep emotions in golden eyes that told the shorter teen that the sight was still more welcome than the ‘perfect’ one that Angus had left this morning.

 

“Wait out here,” The blonde insisted, before taking off in a quick jog toward the front door. After one glance back to confirm his crush was still waiting nearby, he popped it open and immediately went for the staircase up to the attic, not even stopping to check if his ‘parents’ were there. The speed in which he shed all of his clothes and replaced them with brand new ones must have been a record, because the next thing he knew he was back out the front door and grabbing his dirtbike off the mostly dead lawn.

 

The look of relief that crossed the tall boy’s features as he approached made the foxy teen’s chest fill with happiness, but he tried his best not to overwhelm the other as he pushed the object up to him and began to explain, “There’s a seat on the back and you can put your feet here. I have Mae on the back all of the time, so I’m like, an  _ expert _ .”

 

A skeptical gaze met his and for a moment, Gregg wondered if his crush doubted his ability to ride, or even questioned just how  _ safe  _ he was. But to his surprise, only a moment later Angus lowered his eyes and began to shift a bit nervously as he whispered, “I dunno… I probably weight, like, double what she does…”

 

“Oh, pfft!” The older boy dismissed, turning to his bike and missing the alarmed expression his reaction caused. “I don’t give a shit about weight, dude. C’mon!” In one swift movement he hopped on and began to fidget with all of the gears, only to pause and realize that he had yet to be joined. Fear instantly began to grip him and he jerked dark eyes backward once again… only to find golden ones staring at him with an unreadable expression. “Uh…?”

 

“S-sorry…” Lowering his head once more, the soft-spoken teen slowly moved forward and made an awkward attempt to climb on the back. It wobbled for just a moment before it was steadied by the blonde, who continued to wear a warm smile. “Uh… where do I… hold on?”

 

There was a bar he’d directly installed, just behind his own seat, so that Mae could hold on without having to uncomfortably hug him from behind, buuut… he wasn’t about to pass up on an opportunity like this! Hoping that his next grin didn’t give away the fact that he was  _ thrilled _ , the older boy attempted to ‘casually’ hum, “Oh, right. You gotta hold on to me, like, around the waist. Is that a problem?”

 

In that moment, Gregg couldn’t help but to feel that whatever pull he had toward his crush was working in reverse, because the look in those endless orbs was one that he could only describe as the same emotions that had settled in his stomach. Nervousness, excitement, and possibly even… a little bit of joy? But there was something even more in there that that he knew in an instant, although he couldn’t feel it himself… Somehow, someway, Angus was feeling at least a little bit  _ protected _ , and in all honestly that was everything that the blonde wanted.

 

“No… it’s not a problem,” The taller teen whispered, before carefully inching forward and following the instructions. Slowly, his lanky arms circled around the short boy’s waist gently, becoming a little bit more firm only when instructed to. And then, just as Greggory was taking a moment to bask in the closeness of their bodies… ginger curls brushed the back of his neck as the freckled teen rested his head gently on one thin, leather-clad shoulder.

 

The only thing that the pale boy could do was take off, because he knew if he lingered there much longer he was going to  _ lose his shit _ . It was one thing to be around the sweet soul, it was another to be pressed  _ up against him _ … and as romantic as the actions admittedly were, hormones weren’t something that usually to listened to reason.

 

It was only after they broke into the line of trees that he began to settle down just enough to make a realization. Although the body pressed against him was confirmation that his crush was still seated there, the bike was moving at a pace that it generally would if he were riding it alone. Pressing down on the petals was considerably easier than with Mae on the back and, along with the reluctance to eat this morning... he couldn’t help but to feel a sense of dread starting to form deep within him.

 

Thankfully, the place in question was a relatively short ride, as it was one he tended to go to alone most times. His two best friends had been a couple of times, but considering the wide range of ‘hang out’ spots they made the rounds to, this one wasn’t often visited. And really, it was little more than a clearing of trees and a makeshift fire pit that was still damp from the morning mist.

 

Still… the sight of those stunning golden eyes as he turned to watch Angus made it feel like the most important place in the universe and it took every ounce of his strength not to just turn around and kiss the taller boy right there. In an attempt to redirect his strain of thoughts, he instead instructed his crush to climb from their transport and followed after, carelessly dropping it onto the ground.

 

After a small bit of searching around, they found a still relatively dry space beneath a large tree and took a seat, the ginger boy leaning up against the trunk while gazing upward. The leaves were rustling in the wind, the sound somewhat comforting… but, of course, not enough to keep Gregg’s attention for long. “So… what kinda stuff do you research?”

 

Turning to look at him in surprise, the freckled teen then lowered his gaze and began to shift a bit nervously. “Uh… nothing all that interesting…” He instantly responded, almost as if trying to brush off a ‘personal’ question. After he’d finished speaking, however, his words were met with silence as the older boy patiently waited for more. Once it became obvious his hasty answer wasn’t enough, a small sigh left parted lips and he dropped his voice even quieter. “...Traits.”

 

...Oh.  _ Right _ . In the midst of excitement and joy, the blonde had honestly forgotten completely about the mutations and the chaos they were currently causing. His own smile fell a little bit and he turned his gaze away, the pit of his stomach starting to feel heavy with momentary dread… but for the sweet boy, he was able to brush off his own inner fears in order to offer a soft response. “What about ‘em?”

 

A calculating, pained glance met his question, golden eyes seeming to desperately try to read his own dark blue ones. Angus remained still and quiet for what almost felt like hours before he finally turned his gaze with an expression of what almost looked like…  _ shame _ ? “...How to get rid of them.”

 

In hindsight, the sweet angel had probably been concerned that the foxy boy would immediately assume the worst, or that the interest in research had something to do with him… but in all honesty, the only thing that went through Gregg’s mind in that moment was just who he had to **kill** for hurting gentle boy with something as twisted as a Trait. The only thing he could do to avoid the inner rage that began was to avoid it completely, redirecting his attention instead to what most important.  “So what’s the report then, Cap’n?”

 

The nickname had casually slipped out in a loose attempt to make the situation a bit lighter… but as soon as he took in the reaction it had, any ability he had to listen completely danced out of his reach. Instead, he ended up falling completely in love with in the sight of the precious boy seeming so very flustered, covering part of his face with both hands in an attempt to hide himself in a show of shyness.

 

Just as his crush was starting to mumble something about impossibilities, the blonde finally gave in to his impulsiveness and leaned forward. Lifting one hand, he gently took hold of both of the trembling ones that were blocking those beautiful features and  _ finally _ closed the distance between himself and Angus, pressing their lips together.

 

So  _ this  _ was what people meant when they talked about love being like ‘magic’. Because the instant that the freckled teen closed his eyes and melted into the kiss, Greggory was swept away completely. His mind turned off, his heart and body beginning to take over at a rapid pace. Moving a little awkwardly, he shifted onto his knees so he could better face the taller boy, parting for only a second before returning to the ginger’s addicting lips.

 

If either of them were ‘bad’ at this, neither of them seemed to mind. Because the next thing he knew their tongues were tentatively starting to dance and his breathing was becoming heavier, his skin tingling with a heat that he hadn’t really experienced before. Without really thinking, the older boy’s hands were moved to brush gently across Angus’ neck, only to warrant a pause as the angel shuttered and let out an incredibly quiet noise of pleasure.

 

...A noise he wanted to hear again. A noise he wanted to hear  _ over  _ and  _ over. _

 

Despite the fever that was already starting to take control, the older boy made himself speak, addressing a topic that he knew was only right. “If you want me to stop, **_please_** tell me, okay?” 

 

Although he was trying to make an effort not to assume anything about the beautiful boy, Gregg had to admit that he couldn’t have really seen what happened next coming. Just as he finished his words, gentle hands reached out to grab hold of the front of his jacket and pull him into a  **passionate** kiss. Whatever he’d done, it had certainly worked, and he was more than happy to get lost in the heat between them once again.

 

His legs started to move on their own, adjusting their position once again in a new series of awkward movements. The ginger seemed like he didn’t particularly care, however, as he grasped the front of the older boy’s jacket once more and just…  _ held on _ . His entire body was trembling beneath gentle touches and he barely seemed to notice as he was pinned up against the tree, practically seated in the blonde’s lap… or, at least he didn’t notice at  _ first. _

 

That was the thing about bodies, though. Eventually the friction that was forming became  _ increasingly  _ noticeable, forcing them apart and causing the tall boy to being gasping for breath. He made no moves to pull away or any requests to stop, however, and when the blonde moved in begin placing gentle kisses to his neck the only thing he could do was close his eyes and whimper ever-so-softly beneath the sensual touches.

 

The dark skin there was  _ beautiful _ , the slightest hint of freckles just barely dotting his shoulders. Every time Angus let out a shaky breath the older boy could feel it against his lips, which only upped the fire that was already building between them. His lower body, pressed between the legs of the gentle teen, was practically moving on it’s own, attempting to get  **every** ounce of intimacy he could with only friction and two pairs of jeans. Pale hands reached down, not really thinking as they moved to slide under the angel’s shirt... but with one soft movement his touch was brushed away and he instead moved to bury scrawny fingers into ginger curls. 

 

Heavy breathing, falling from full lips, was giving way to soft cries of pleasure and Gregg was quickly growing addicted to every single sound that the gentle soul made. Running on pure desire now, he started to nip slightly at the sensitive skin beneath him and instantly found himself grinning at the reaction.

 

Had he been able to pay attention, he probably would have been able to notice it. There was a strange…  _ crackling  _ in the air, ever-so-slight and yet growing steadily. What almost seemed like small  _ sparks _ of golden color began to surround them, more and more appearing with each soft noise that slipped out of the gentle boy. 

 

And then...  _ it happened _ . Admittedly, the older boy had likely pushed things beyond his crush’s comfort, but he unfortunately hadn't stopped to think as he bit down a bit rougher on soft, delicate skin. The moan that Angus let out certainly didn't  _ seem  _ unhappy, but the second it hit the air one of those sparks  _ exploded _ into a dance of fire, trailing down the blonde’s arm.

 

“What the fuck?!” Gregg cried in alarm, stumbling to his feet and quickly pulling his jacket off. After slamming it into the ground a few times to put out the flames, he let out a somewhat relieved sigh and turned back toward the tall boy. “Are you o-”

 

The tree he'd just had his crush pressed against mocked him, standing there alone with no sign of the sweet angel. Instantly, the blonde’s heart filled with dread and without stopping to think about it he took off in a completely random direction, panic clouding his thoughts. The other teen didn't exactly know the area as well as he did and getting lost in the woods was incredibly dangerous...  _ especially _ for someone so very terrified.

 

“ **ANGUS?!** ” Calling out into the trees gained no response, but he continued to do so none the less as he ran further and further into the woods. It could have been hours before his body finally  _ forced  _ him that he stopped, causing him to stumble onto his hands and knees, gasping desperately for breath. Before he’d even managed to regain it all, however, he was cupping his hands around his mouth and shouting again, sheer agony becoming more and more evident in his voice. “ **_ANGUS, PLEASE…!_ ** ”

 

Suddenly, the sound of a twig cracking caught his attention and he turned with relief spreading across his features… only to be replaced as a jolt of pure _terror_ ran through him. The figure who had been seated at the counter in diner was now standing maybe thirty or so feet away, leaning up against a tree with both arms crossed over his chest. It was an unusually tall man, pale skin seeming more akin to a corpse than an actual, _living_ person, with styled dark hair that contrasted against it. By far the most unnerving thing however, was the strange pair yellow eyes with horizontal pupils that seemed to almost… stare deep into very his soul, _tearing_ it apart from the inside.

 

And then, very slowly… the figure lifted what was unmistakably the fox mask that Greggory had tossed into the woods only a few nights before. One elegant hand placed over his own face, while what could only be described as a **demonic** grin crossed his tight lips.

 

_ Who do you think will win this race, little fox…? _

 

Without another second of hesitation the blonde turned, taking off into the trees once more. The situation had gone from scary to  _ terrifying  _ and he mentally placed a block on the creepy encounter, slowing his pace just enough that he could safely leap up into the trees. He wasn’t exactly  _ good  _ at it, but being up high provided him with a better view of where the precious, frightened boy could have gone.


	7. Instrumentum vocale - Instrument with voice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One tends to be softly spoken, when their voice can destroy with naught but a single word...

Bounding forward in relief, he awkwardly jumped onto a branch just above the tall boy and attempted to drop down… but, unfortunately, landings were still not his forte and he ended up stumbling the moment his feet hit the forest floor. After tripping over himself, he hit the ground hard and let out a cry of pain as his lower arm scraped against something sharp, the jagged edge causing an agonizing gash to cover the length of it - now completely exposed by the lack of his jacket. 

 

The sound of a frightened gasp caught his attention as he started to let out a string of curses, instantly causing his dark eyes to lift and a jolt of relief to spread through his heart at the sight of Angus, curled up against a tree and covered in tears.  _ Alive.  _ “Are… you okay?”

 

“ **NO!”** The older boy snapped without meaning to, only to instantly kick himself as the beautiful angel cringed away in  _ fear _ . Jumping to his feet, he ignored the painful gash on his arm and stumbled over to his frightened crush, falling to his knees right in front of him. Pale hands were trembling as he reached out and gently cupped tear-stained freckled cheeks, his eyes gazing  _ deep  _ into the golden ones before him. “Don't  **ever** do that again, Angus! You could have gotten injured out here, or-... god, I could have  **LOST** you!”

 

Being confronted with so much raw emotion seemed to shock his sweet love, who started at him for several painful seconds before he dropped his face into both hands and sunk into quiet, timid sobs. “I'm so sorry! I-... God… s-sorry…!”

 

Instantly, a deep shard of guilt stabbed into the blonde and he let out a slight wince, while inwardly sending a string of curses his own way. “Angus, I-...” He attempted in a softer tone, trying his best to use soft touches to wipe at the continuously flowing tears. “...I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped at you.”

 

Honestly, he couldn’t have predicted the reaction those words earned him. The sobbing stopped instantly and Angus lifted a completely shell-shocked gaze toward him, almost as if the words left him completely  _ baffled _ . The feedback only served to make Gregg’s chest get tighter as he realized that it was more than likely that  **no one** had ever apologized for yelling at the beautiful, gentle boy… and that realization was only reinforced as golden eyes turned away and his angel mumbled a timid, “...It’s okay. It was my fault. I’m sorry... for scaring you…”

 

In that moment, the shorter boy did the only thing he could think of to stop himself from storming into the Delaney household and  _ fucking shit up _ . Leaning in, he placed a soft kiss to the surprised boy’s forehead and pulled back to give him an expression of what he hoped was nothing but pure affection, which complimented his gentle tone as he assured, “It wasn’t your fault.”

 

A confused gaze followed after him in shock as he moved to stand, but his attention was elsewhere as his own began to dart around. They  **had** to get out of there… there was no telling where that creep was, or what he wanted, and the anxious teen wasn’t about to go trying to find out. Instead, he was quick to take in everything around them and relaxed only the slightest bit when he spotted a familiar object some ways away. “There’s my bike! C’mon, we should get out of here.”

 

“...B-but-” The ginger whispered as climbed to his feet as well, a concerned gaze lingering on the wound that was still very much bleeding down the older boy’s arm. 

  
Surprise flashed through the spunky teen for a moment and he glanced down, taking in the wound as if seeing it for the first time. He hadn’t really… _noticed_ , too busy trying to make sure his precious love was alright to really care about himself. Now that he was aware of it, however, the stinging began to shoot through him and he ended up letting out a small wince of pain. “It’s cool, dude. C’mon…”

 

When he started to walk at a brisk pace, it took only a few steps for Gregg to realize he wasn’t being followed. Halting in place, he turned to fix the taller figure with a confused and concerned expression, the panic starting to fill him more and more as the seconds ticked on and clouding any other thoughts.

 

It was only upon seeing those beautiful, pained eyes lower to the ground that the realization smashed into him like a painful wave and guilt began to weigh on his shoulders. Although he’d ran into the creepy guy that was hanging around, Angus more than likely hadn’t… and thus, his sudden insistence on leaving probably made it seem like it  _ had  _ been the freckled teen’s fault. 

 

_ Fuck, Greggory! Think shit through! _

 

At first he wasn’t really sure about just how to remedy the situation - after all, he wasn’t about to go telling the sweet angel that some dude was running around,  _ stalking _ them in the woods - but he knew that the whole thing was starting to look more and more bleak, at least in the angel’s shame-filled golden eyes. It took him a few more seconds before a solution finally came to him and he took in a deep breath, deciding to skip past any possible hesitance and just be forward, “Do you wanna, uh... stay the night?”

 

The confused expression that crossed freckled features was admittedly adorable, but the pained, whispered words that came out of those full lips only managed to break the blonde’s heart all over again. “...In the woods?”

 

“God,  _ no! _ ” The cry came out before the older boy had a chance to stop it, his entire voice cracking from agony. A look of shock met his response, the look on his crush’s face instantly letting him know that the pain had come across completely. “I meant, like… at my  _ house _ . Maybe... like, in my room? I can sleep on the floor n’ stuff… I just-... yeah.”

 

In all honesty, it was probably his own insecurities made reading the other boy’s expression impossible... but not even a second later the pure  _ relief _ in the words that immediately followed his own made his chest tighten with anguish all over again. “R-really…? Uh, yeah… o-okay… I’d, uh… really like that…”

 

Unable to keep the widest grin possible from crossing his lips (despite the possible danger that surrounded them), the blonde instantly reached out with his non-injured arm to offer the gentle boy his hand with an excited chirp of, “Let's go then, Cap’n!”

 

As freckled cheeks flushed with embarrassment, the shorter teen felt his heart starting to race... but second that the sweet boy’s fingers brushed his, however, it stopped completely. An unknown feeling of…  _ comfort _ ? filled him, like a warm bonfire in the middle of a winter night. It only took one look into confused, yet hopeful golden eyes to tell him Angus was feeling it just as much… and the only thing he could really do was turn around and  _ force  _ himself to start in the direction of his bike. 

 

...Because he knew if he stayed there one second longer, they would never go back. 

 

* * *

 

Silence fell between them on the ride back into town, but it was more…  _ comforting _ than anything else. Somehow the daylight was already ending (autumn days were always way too short) and the sky was a sea of beautiful colors that couldn't even  _ hope _ to compare to the sweet angel holding on to him. There was just something about the idea of keeping Angus safe that fulfilled a need deep within his very  **soul** and he dreaded the second that he would be forced to let the taller boy return to that  _ hell. _

 

Unfortunately they eventually reached their destination, the shoddy old house nearly pitch black with the porch light switched off… a sign from his parents, no doubt, of just how welcome he was. ‘Thankfully’ this occurred often enough that he knew how to slip inside quickly and after dropping his bike in the front lawn, the blonde took his sweet crush by the hand once again. 

 

Walking through the front door, the older boy quickly stepped in and glanced around to make sure the living room was free of either of his parents. After confirming they were both out of sight he gently lead his crush inside by their still intertwined hold. “C’mon, my room’s in the attic.”

 

“Greggory?”

 

Wincing slightly at the sound of his name being called from the kitchen, the blonde froze in place and immediately released his crush’s hand. A few seconds later his mother stepped out, a frown on her pale face and her own yellow-tinted hair a mess - which matched the unmistakable scent of booze on her breath. Blood-shot eyes immediately turned toward Angus with a judgemental stare, only to pull a scoff from her lips as he immediately cringed beneath it. “Who’s  _ this _ ?”

 

“A friend,” was all the short teen was willing to offer, his shoulders tense and his fists clenched in an attempt to resist straight-up  _ punching  _ his own mother in the face. Consequences were the last thing on his mind when she was making his sweet angel  _ cower  _ only to act like  **he** was the weak one. Sharp teeth bit down on his bottom lip and every second she glared brought him closer to getting himself kicked out…  _ permanently _ .

 

Switching her gaze toward her son, his mother seemed to take a moment as if to try and find a reason to argue. And, sure enough, she tried to make her voice firm as she snapped, “No friends over on school nights, remember?”

 

Gregg had to admit that he hadn’t really expected what came next, but he supposed he should have gotten used to being surprised by the younger boy at this point. His gentle angel decided to speak up, despite the fear that the pale boy swore he could  _ feel  _ coming off the other boy _.  _ “It’s, um… Saturday, ma’am…”

 

“What do I look like, a  _ forty-year-old!? _ ” The drunk woman immediately snapped and the only thing that held the older boy back from the urge to  **fuck her up** at the sight of the freckled boy flinching away was the feel of soft fingers just barely brushing against his wrist. Another scoff fell from her, but thankfully she seemed to decide that arguing wasn't worth it anymore. “Whatever. Just… don't touch the beer.”

 

“We  _ won’t _ ,” the blonde practically hissed, though thankfully she didn't seem to catch it as she turned and headed back into the kitchen. A sigh of relief left him only when he was absolutely sure she wasn't coming back and he motioned for Angus to follow in complete silence.

 

The wound on his arm was choosing now to begin throbbing and climbing the ladder up to his room only served to make it worse, but he tried his best to hide it as he helped the taller boy through the ‘door’ (aka latch in his floor) and pretty much kicked it shut. Somehow he could just...  _ tell  _ that the angel was blaming himself for the injury, despite the fact that it was in no way his fault.

 

Before anything could be said between them, however, the sound of meowing caught both of their attention and the ginger-haired teen had only a split second to react as the ball of fluff from their previous meeting in the tunnel suddenly  _ leapt _ into his arms. “P-... Pancake...?”

 

“Is that their n-...” Gregg started to question, before his words stopped instantly in his throat, caught up with his breath and causing them both to cease functioning. The taller boy had moved to his knees and was holding the feline against himself while they purred so loudly he was surprised the entire room didn’t vibrate.

 

What really stunned him, however… was the  _ smile  _ that spread across freckled features. The joy that filled those beautiful, sparkling eyes was like  _ magic _ and as the quiet sound of the angel laughing filled the air he was forced to hold back tears of… of pure  _ relief _ . The tall boy had been through so much, he more than deserved to be happy... and making him happy was all that the older boy really wanted out of life.

 

Deciding to brush off just how deep that realization actually was, the older boy instead grinned and moved to take a seat on his (extremely messy) bed. “Is that their name? I just call ‘em Lil’ Shit. Dunno why… they’re a real sweet cat, actually.”

 

“Did you… rescue her?” The soft-spoken teen questioned, golden eyes turning to take in the pale boy as if viewing him in a brand new light, (atop of the ones the blonde hoped were at least  _ sort of  _ poking through his shitty personality). The only thing he could really do upon gazing deep into their endless depths was offer up a slow nod, before letting out a shuddering breath as a strange feeling began to fill him. 

 

Something about the was Angus was looking at him told the pale boy he was feeling it too… it wasn't really something either of them could describe, but the only thing that really came to mind was a sort of…  _ pull.  _ He wanted to get closer to the gentle teen, both physically  _ and  _ personally. He wanted to learn every single thing about his love he could and then make sure anything else that followed was nothing but happiness and comfort… and somehow he just  _ knew  _ it was exactly what the younger boy wanted, as well.

 

“...Eh, she didn't gimme a choice,” Greggory finally managed after what could easily have been hours of just sharing a wonderful moment, gazing deep into each other’s eyes. Reluctantly, he then slowly lowered his gaze toward the wound on his arm and clenched his teeth to try and hide the grimace the sight caused.

 

Before he could react further he found himself surprised as the ginger boy suddenly took a seat on the bed beside him, reaching out with gentle hands to move the wounded limb a little closer. A frown of concern was steadily spreading across his lips and the older teen was pretty sure the guilt coming off of his angel was so thick he was  _ choking _ on it. Thankfully the sweet boy decided to speak first, though his words were a bit baffling. “Do you… um… do you trust me…?”

 

It took every ounce of self-control he had within his entire body not to jump in and interrupt the freckled angel to assure him that there was  **no** doubts in his mind, but he figured Angus was used to being cut off and wanted to give those soft-spoken words as much freedom to flow as possible. Only when he was sure that the precious angel had finished did he finally respond, holding his head up high to show just how honest he was being. “With my life.”

 

By the reaction that spread across those beautifully soft features, the older boy could tell he'd caught his crush off guard… deep within his chest, however, that same alluring pull returned. The shy teen seemed to hesitate for several seconds is if unsure of just how to go about what he was trying to portray before he decided on just closing his eyes and taking in a deep, shaky breath.

 

...and then, he  _ sang _ .

 

The sound took the air straight from the older boy’s lungs, his entire body paralyzed by the sheer delicate artistry that was Angus Delaney’s voice. At first he couldn't comprehend anything but the music and the sight of the sweet angel it was coming from, but his eyes became distracted a few seconds later as the appearance of sudden  _ sparks  _ in the air around them caught his attention.

 

A familiar crackling filled the room and the realization that this was some sort of  _ trait  _ hit him as he recalled the sound from their heated time in the woods (no pun intended). Originally he'd assumed the creepy dude stalking them had caused the interference… but the realization that his angel had probably been researching to try and get rid of his  **own** traits hit him like a painful stab in the gut.

 

“Stuck on this dead end street…”

 

It was only when an intense tingling in his arm became too difficult to ignore that the older boy finally tore his eyes away, lowering them to inspect the wound in confusion… it instantly jolted into shock, however, when he realized the sensation was quite literally his wound  _ healing over. _

 

“Where all the new kids come to play…”

 

Pancakes moved to flop down in the older boy’s lap, as if to try and assure him that what was happening was nothing to fear… and it was only then that he recalled the feline’s own wound and how it had seemed to be mostly healed, despite having been relatively fresh. One glance toward the timid teen assured him that this was no coincidence and all that Gregg could really do was reach out and wrap both arms around the ginger as the singing slowed to a stop.

 

A gasp of surprise left full lips, before the tall teen clenched them shut and slowly melted into the hold. Seconds ticked by in complete, yet strangely comforting silence, and the two of them remained in that position for what seemed like an eternity, but was still  _ far  _ from long enough. Eventually, however, the freckled boy seemed to grow too self-conscious and slowly pulled away while wiping at his eyes, which appeared to have teared up from what the blonde could only assume was a fear of being rejected. “Um, so… yeah…”

 

As much as the older boy wanted to brush off everything that had just happened in favor of making his loved one comfortable, he knew this was going to come up eventually and so he chose to just get it over with as quickly as possible. “So… fire? Healing…? Is there…?”

 

The cringe that shuttered through Angus made his heart ache, but it seemed the gentle soul had been expecting something similar as he sighed and shook his head. “Not yet… Just… the, uh… the one...” He explained, though the words only made his protector’s head begin to spin in confusion.

 

At least 80% of people with traits were doomed to get more, (or at least, according to whatever studies that had managed to be completed without protesters everywhere,) and although none of the foxy boy’s friends had suffered through it a second time, he was terrified that it was already happening to the ethereal soul before him. Upon hearing the response, however, he couldn’t help but to frown and tilt his head slightly. “Wait,  _ one _ ? But-...”

 

Seeming to understand the confusion, the ginger-haired teen let out a shaky breath and averted his gaze. Fire and healing weren’t exactly similar, so the idea of them being controlled by a single trait didn’t exactly make sense to the older boy… when his precious angel began to speak, however, he found himself painfully wishing that his guess of them being seperate had actually been true. “...Atoms. I, uh… control atoms. Ma… nipulate... them? Uh… the fire thing… that’s new, um-... s-sorry, I-…”

 

Unable to wait any longer, the shorter boy jolted forward and did all he could to avert that gentle mind away from such agony. Pulling the surprised teen down with him, he moved to lay across his bed and pressed the shaking soul up against himself. The awkward angle at which the other boy’s thick glasses laid did nothing to discourage him and one fluid movement had them removed and set aside, before Greggory quickly tugged the surprised form back into a tight hold and  **refused** to let go.

 

A soft whimper came from the freckled boy after several seconds, before he began to tremble. It was only after a soothing whisper of “It’s okay to cry…” left the blonde that he finally seemed to let go, burying his face into soft t-shirt fabric and allowing incredibly muffled sobs to leave him.

 

Quiet… Angus  _ had  _ to be quiet, didn’t he? Or at least, that’s how the sorrow filled soul felt… it seemed like his trait was tied in to his voice and for someone so soft-spoken, the older boy couldn’t even  _ imagine  _ how difficult something like that had to be. It seemed like he hadn’t really gotten much time to get a handle on it, either, if the sudden introduction of the fire was any indicator…

 

... **Atoms** . He hadn’t paid much attention in school, but if his memory served him right, atoms made up  _ everything _ . What did ‘controlling atoms’ even  _ mean _ ? In a way he supposed it explained the weird sparks and crackling around them both times that the younger boy’s traits had acted up… but if it could start fires  _ and  _ heal people, the possibilities were definitely headed toward the edges of  _ endless _ .

 

Could he create things…? Could he… could he  _ destroy  _ things with nothing but a single  _ word _ ? It was no wonder the sweet soul was so scared to speak, or sing, or… or  _ anything _ . He probably didn’t know just what noise would be the wrong one and greatly feared the repercussions of finding out.

 

Eventually it was the blonde who pulled away, though he honestly wasn’t sure why. His ears picked up on the sound of what almost seemed like a stomach growling and his own began to ache in hunger, although it wasn't really a sensation he was used to. Both the sound and the feeling snapped his mind back into reality, however, as memories of the morning and the uneaten plate in front of his angel resurfaced suddenly.

 

Moving to pull away, the older boy found himself pausing the instant he was able to rest his dark-blue gaze on gentle, freckled features. Angus had at some point drifted off into an uneasy rest, closed eyelids twitching open every few seconds as if to be alert, ready to wake up at the first sign of distress… his breathing was a bit shaky and his fingers were still grasping onto the shorter boy’s shirt in a desperate hold.

 

Feeling his heart break all over again, the older teen sighed and slowly removed the trembling and so he could inch completely away. Carefully shifting as to not awaken his gentle angel - and  _ somehow  _ managing - he climbed from the bed and turned around to take in the sleeping form with a brand new sense of protectiveness. Before was  _ nothing  _ compared to this… with a new wave of knowledge fueling his heart, he knew that from that moment on he wasn’t going to be leaving the ethereal boy’s side - consequences be  **damned** .

 

With a sharp intake of breath he forced himself to focus on the  _ now  _ and reached out, beginning to undo what was left of the laces attached to the taller boy’s shoddy sneakers and removing them with a haphazardly toss. Having shut his mind completely off, he wasn’t thinking as he reached out for the zipper of the gentle teen’s jacket and went to undo it.

 

...It made sense now, he supposed, that Angus had nudged his hand away when he’d reached for his jacket back in the woods… because now, with it open, he felt his gut twist and a lump form in his throat. Even beneath what was at least two more layers of fabric he could tell that there was  _ nothing _ \- or at least not much more than just…  _ skin and bones _ . The sweet, kind soul was even thinner than Casey’s cousin, who was still in rehab recovering from a  _ meth addiction _ . 

 

Cursing under his breath, Gregg quickly zipped the jacket back up and clenched his fists shut as he headed for his room’s exit and went straight through it. The front door barely creaked as he stepped out, not bothering to flick on the porch light even as he stormed through the yard and up to the edge of their property, just before the thick trees began.

 

“ **FUCK!** ” 

 

The forest did a decent job of covering up the sound of his voice, but something told him the freckled teen had awoken nonetheless. With a frustrated sigh, the blonde lowered his head and forced himself to take a moment, his eyes closing. Staying this frustrated wasn’t going to do anyone any good… and there was time later to deal with it. Right now he had things that were far,  _ far  _ more important to focus on… and someone who needed him just as much as he was beginning to need them.


	8. Ex tempore - From this moment in time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Can you find him, Little Fox? Tick tock.
> 
> But careful… you don't want to be caught, do you?

Turning on his heel, the tense teenager headed back through his front door and nudged it shut behind himself. Instead of heading immediately for his bedroom, however, he turned and took a detour into the kitchen, which his parents had - thankfully - vacaded. The light was still on but the room was empty, making it considerably easier to find something he could just grab and go.

 

After settling upon a box of cereal he headed straight for the ladder up to his room and climbed it, waiting only until he’d kicked the door closed once more before returning his gaze toward the figure now sitting up on the bed. Angus was staring with concern, but seemed either too nervous or thrown off to say anything, which only made the blonde’s chest tighten all over again.

 

Attempting to gather himself enough to actually  _ speak _ , the older boy crossed the distance between them and offered up the container. Any words that wanted to come ended up trapped in his throat, however, upon seeing the way his sweet angel  _ cringed  _ away immediately, as if the sight was one that screamed of danger. His stomach began to twist in pain and the only thing that Gregg could do to keep it together was gently reach out and take one freckled cheek in his hand while pressing the box into his love’s arms with the other. “ _ Eat _ .”

 

**Refusing** to allow himself to view the reaction, the older boy removed himself from the situation by turning around and immediately heading into his ‘bathroom’. After stepping inside he pulled the door shut and flopped hard against it, before slowly sliding down into a seated position on the floor. His shoulders began to fall as the gravity of the situation began to dawn on him more and more, suffocating him down and making everything seem so… so damn  _ heavy _ .

 

It felt like hours before the sound of a meowing at the door caught his attention and the blonde realized he’d been sitting in the  _ dark _ . A snap judgement allowed him to brush off any thoughts of just what that meant, however, and he instead moved to stand and took just a moment in an attempt to gather himself… allowing himself to continue down this road of spiraling anxiety and stress was only going to make the pained angel even more worried than he (no doubt) already was. 

 

A sense of relief so powerful he almost stumbled hit him as soon as he stepped back into his bedroom, however, and he struggled to hide his grin at the sight of the ginger-haired boy curled up against the wall and the (now completely empty) box of cereal folded up and placed in a nearby trash bin. After several seconds he decided that fighting against his inner needs just wasn’t worth the pain, however, and ended up stumbling forward to awkwardly land on the bed, just close enough to the tall teen to pull him into a tight, protective hold. 

 

For several seconds silence stretched between them, Angus seeming to be frozen with surprise. Eventually he managed to speak, however, letting out a shaky breath and a confused whisper of, “...Gregg?”

 

“ _ Thank you _ ,” The older boy ended up mumbling, every ounce of self-control left within him beginning to crumble to pieces right before the most gentle, sweet person he’d ever met… a person who had only ever been faced with  _ pain _ , despite how much good they truly deserved.

 

Something about the way the younger teen was breathing, or shaking, or  _ something,  _ told him that he already knew the answer to his next few words, but he decided to let them free into the still air between them nonetheless. “Um, for... what...?”

 

Clenching dark blue eyes shut, Greggory let out a shaky breath and forced himself to just  _ respond  _ the question. He knew the temptation to break into his own long, endless line of inquiries was far too great, so he clenched his jaw shut after only two words. “...For eating.”

 

And there it was… that twisting heart break deep in his chest, almost seeming like it was  _ forcing  _ him to hold on just a little bit tighter to the meek figure pressed against him. Because he wasn’t about to let Angus go… not after this. Not after he buried his face into the blonde’s shirt and mumbled something that completely erased any concerns of the starving being any sort of self-inflicted attempt at control. 

 

“...Thank you for letting me.”

 

* * *

 

In all honesty, Greggory wasn’t sure when they’d fallen asleep. He couldn’t really remember much after the painful admission by his sweet angel, but he knew they hadn’t done much more than hold on to each other… at some point they must have drifted off together, because the next thing he knew he was waking up to Pancakes licking his ear and the clock beside his bed blaring _8:25 PM_ directly in his face.

 

Groaning, the older boy moved to roll over, more than ready to fall back asleep and ignore the rest of the day… until the realization that he was  _ alone  _ hit him and he shot straight up in bed. Panic filled every sense, making his lungs fill with fire and his nostrils burn. 

 

Angus was  _ gone.  _ The spot he had been in was cold, implying he had left some time ago… and the idea that the sweet boy could sneak off without being detected made his stomach turn, making it hard for the anxious teen to keep his breakfast in as quickly stumbled out of bed toward the bedroom bedroom ‘door’ in an alarmed haste.

 

...Only to pause in complete  _ terror.  _ Because sitting right on top of it’s closed,  _ latched  _ surface was the fox-shaped mask that had been left behind in the woods twice now. But what really turned his stomach was the folded up piece of paper placed beside it, the weight as he lifted it implying his greatest fears… and, seconds later, they were confirmed as he undid the creases and a pair of painfully familiar round-framed glasses fell into his hands. 

 

Written on the page in elegant writing was a message that shot a sharp fear into his heart like he'd never experienced… and the drawing of a goat head with an inverted pentagram certainly didn't help the situation.

 

_ Can you find him, Little Fox? Tick tock. _

 

_ But careful… you don't want to be caught, do you? _

 

**Rage.**

 

That was went through him at the sight of thick lenses, the dim moonlight coming in through the window almost mocking in the way it highlighted the glass, almost making it seem solid white. Pure, unfiltered  _ rage.  _ Because that bastard in the woods had gone too far this time… because this was far beyond terror or agony.

 

It was this uncontrollable hatred that fueled every step as he grabbed hold of his shoddy orange sweatshirt and pocketed both the mask and the glasses, before kicking open the bedroom latch. One quick leap had him landing on the floor with ease - although the  _ thud  _ his action caused was louder than he usually would have liked - and within seconds he was out the door and on his bike.

 

Casey’s house was closer and only a couple minute walk, yet for some reason the bike ride there seemed to take  _ forever.  _ The sight of the broken apart old trailer was a welcome one (or at least, compared to the previous two homes he’d visited), but as he approached and began to make out the form of the pale ginger standing near the front door with Mae and a  _ shotgun,  _ that comfort crumbled away.

 

Both of his friends turned toward him with alarmed expressions before he could really make them out, but it was no surprise that Casey could hear him coming. What  _ did  _ catch him off guard, however, was the way the pair practically  _ bolted  _ in his direction, their faces the definition of panic and he barely managed to stumble off of his bike before they were practically tackling them.

 

“Thank  **god** !” Mae nearly shrieked, both of her scrawny arms wrapping around him in a tight hold. He wasn’t given the time to react as she stepped back just far enough to grab his shoulders with both hands and look him over quickly. “Are you hurt?!”

 

“No!” The blonde found himself snapping, though he didn’t have the capability to recognize it in the moment. He didn’t have  _ time  _ to explain what was going on, not when Angus was growing more and more afraid…

 

Casey seemed to realize the haste, although the frown on his lips showed that he didn’t exactly agree with it. Reaching into his backpack, he removed what looked like the pink wig costume he’d been wearing at the glass factory, followed by an object that made the older boy’s stomach turn… because the folded up piece of paper was unmistakable the second he laid eyes on it.

 

Sure enough the same goat-head image greeted them as the tall teen pulled the paper apart, the fancy text both chilling and mocking in ways that Greggory couldn’t begin to describe.

 

_ Who was taken? The fox, or the teddy bear? _

 

_ Care to find out, Your Highness? _

 

“I got one too,” The short girl cut in before anything could be said, though she didn’t offer up any paper. “It pretty much said to go to Casey’s and whoever it was called me ‘little Kitten’... which is creepy, but I mean… it's all creepy, so…”

 

“It was on top of our costumes, so we figured out instantly that you were ‘the fox’,” The younger boy explained, a baffled expression on his face as he quickly stuffed the page and obnoxious wig into his bag, before shouldering it in a fluid movement (his shotgun still clenched in one hand). “We were about to go to your place, so it’s good to know you’re okay… I have a hunch you know exactly what this is about, though.”

 

Although the observation had been a good one, the shorter boy couldn’t help but to brush it off with a snap of “ _ Yeah, I do!”  _ before grabbing hold of his dirtbike and starting to walk away. Within seconds the two baffled teens were following after him and demanding answers he didn’t have the  _ time  _ to give.

 

_ Scared… I’m-...  _ **_he’s_ ** _ so… so scared… _

 

“ **_Hey!_ ** ”

 

It was the sound of the smaller of his friends screaming after him that seemed to rock the steady wall of anger that was blocking any logical thought. Stopping in his spot, the blonde turned to fix his friends with an apologetic frown, before allowing his shoulders to drop and quietly sighing.

 

“We were fucking  _ worried _ , you asshole!” Mae continued, though she moved to close the distance he’d made with Casey right behind her. “We get this random ass letter that’s talking about, like…  _ stealing  _ you, or whatever, and you just want to take off without an explanation!?”

 

“Who’s the teddy bear…?”

 

Both red eyes and his own dark blue ones trailed over to Casey and Gregg couldn’t help but to wince as the taller boy fixed him with a concerned, calculating expression. Something about the way the ginger was staring very much implied that he was already well aware of the answer, but he seemed to need confirmation as he went on to explain, “It mentioned a fox and a teddy bear… if they didn’t take you, then…”

 

“Angus,” The short boy confirmed in a curt voice that instantly made both of his friends go pale with fear. “He took Angus.” Both of the blank, parted-lip expressions he was receiving begged him for information, but he’d had  _ more _ than enough of wasting time, which he made clear as he grabbed hold of his bike and began to walk once more - this time, with the pair (thankfully) following.

 

Before they could break into the line of questioning he  _ knew  _ was coming, he began to speak, hoping to cover everything as quickly as possible as they made their way across town - though to where exactly he wasn’t sure, just yet… “Long story short, this douche bag started stalking us and now he took Angus. I’ll catch you up on the rest later.”

 

He could feel, rather than see, the troubled expression that the two of them exchanged behind his back. Both decided to remain quiet, however, and instead started to increase their pace as his amplified more and more with each step.

 

_ So scared… Help me, please…! I’m coming… It’s okay…! _

 

“Gregg,  **dude** … at least tell us where we’re going...?” Mae’s horrified voice filtered into his subconscious, reminding him that he didn’t actually...  _ know _ . But something was guiding his feet in a certain direction and when silence followed the worried girl’s words, she seemed to realize it, instead opting to share another glance with Casey and pick up her pace further.

 

The rage was quickly becoming watered down by terror as each step took them closer to… to  _ somewhere _ . Breathing became more difficult, but the blonde inwardly forced himself to accept the excuse that it was just because he was walking so fast… when the realization that they were coming up upon his love one’s street hit him, however, he knew that his struggles for air were only the beginning of what was about to go down.

 

All three friends froze suddenly upon the familiar sight of Beatrice, standing across from the seemingly normal house with an expression far beyond concern and more dabbling into the side of…  _ terrified _ ? It was this look that caused the oldest of the trio to approach her seemingly without caution, his two confused friends following after him. Her dark eyes turned to meet him with a look of momentary surprise, before it brushed past his shorter form and on to the even smaller figure that was seeming to hang back with her own gaze anywhere else.

 

Hesitating for only a moment on the image of Mae, the pale girl returned her gaze toward Greggory and fixed him with a grimace and an air of absolute dread. “ _ Please  _ don’t tell me you got a letter too…”

 

Surprise must have mixed with terror on his features, because her dark eyes widened into a matching expression and she slowly reached into her pocket, removing a familiar folded up piece of paper. The three figures across from her watched in foreboding anticipation while she opened it up, only to each wear different mixes of fear and anger as she turned it around to reveal that same goat-head, the mocking script stabbing the blonde straight in the chest.

 

_ Where’s your teddy bear, little girl? _

 

_ Careful, or the Fox might steal what's most precious once more. _

 

Turning to gaze at his best friends with a pained look, the oldest teen bit down on his lip and tried his best not to give away just how…  _ painful  _ the words were. By the matching expressions that Mae and Casey both wore he could tell that they completely understood… and the three of them all collectively came to the realization that making Angus’ best friend realize their identities was  _ exactly  _ what the creepy asshole had been going for.

 

The suddenness in which the force hit him was like an unseen punch to the face… in fact, that was pretty much exactly what it was. One moment Gregg was standing, frowning at his friends… the next he was stumbling back and letting out a cry of alarm as an intense pain slammed into his left cheek from literally  _ nowhere _ . The matching shocked expressions of his companions only seemed to confirm just how confusing it had been, but when a bit of blood slid down his chin from where his lip had split open all of their eyes turned in seemingly slow-motion toward the ominous house… and they all realized.

 

It was only after one cautious look in Beatrice’s direction that the taller of the two boys closed his eyes, trying his best to focus on just what was going on across the street. Both of his friends turned to look at him in surprise, before Mae’s expression became painted with what appeared to be a whole new kind of fear and her red eyes snapped cautiously over to the girl who had once been her best friend… who’s life she had  _ saved  _ that night at the factory.

 

“There’s… uh, three people in there, I think?” Casey began, his clenched eyes making it impossible to see as their newest companion turned her attention toward him in an abrupt revelation (although his blonde friend was sure he could  _ feel _ it, as the waves coming off of the pale girl were so intense he was suffocating... and she wasn’t even looking at  _ him _ ). “Uh… two are moving. Some, uh, lady is… screaming so fucking loud I can’t hear  _ anything _ .” A momentary pause followed his words, but it was all that Greggory needed to know he wasn’t about to like the rest of them. “...I’m, uh, not gonna repeat  **any** of it.”

 

Clenching his teeth together, the oldest of the teens turned his attention back toward the prison his loved one was trapped inside and  _ forced  _ himself to remain in the spot he was occupying, as he knew if he made for the door without a plan things were bound to get messy… this realization just barely helped, however, and he allowed words to come out in an attempt to curb the urge. “Is  _ he  _ in there?”

 

As green eyes turned to meet him momentarily, the expression on the pale ginger’s face told him everything. The taller teen spoke before he had a chance to react, however, his solemn look leaking into his voice as he lowered it to a whisper. “...Yeah, Gregg. He is.”

 

In all honesty, the older boy had assumed these were it… these were the words that were going to push him into storming over there and just  _ fucking shit up _ … But a few seconds later as Casey let out an alarmed “ _ fucking shit!” _ in time with another wave of unseen pain hitting the blonde (from above, this time… and in several places) that shook the last bits of self-control from him.

 

**Rage** took over and in that moment he didn’t even bother to stop it. These people deserved no pity… and he wasn’t about to take any on them. They’d messed with his  _ angel _ , his  _ Angus _ , and they were going to  **_pay._ **

 

Voices were yelling after him as he started across the street, but the words didn’t register. He was too caught up… too upset to listen to reason anymore. His feet barely made it a few steps and he had just enough time to pull his hood up and slip that same fox mask on his face before he  _ leapt _ directly at the front door. It crashed beneath him in an instant, despite the rather awkward way his body slammed against it, and the entirety of it’s frame crashed into the front room with the force of his hit.

 


	9. Aut pax aut bellum - Either peace or war

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They never saw it coming...
> 
> None of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all!
> 
> Thank you so much for supporting this story, you really inpsire me to continue it!
> 
> With all hopes the next chapter will be the last... but we'll have to see. After all, I do have a sequel planned... ;3

Stumbling for only a second, the blonde caught his footing and snapped his eyes upward to take in the scene before him. A dimly lit ‘home’ met his gaze, a rather extravagant dining room table housing two previously eating figures - both now standing in alarm and confusion. The first was the woman from the doorway, whose features were quickly twisting into a sneer on a medusa-level ugly. The second - to his momentary surprise - was a man just as pale as she was, the sight of his narrowed eyes seeming almost…  _ dead _ , rather than anything else.

 

It took only a second for a Gregg to glance around before he came to a realization… the home looked relatively ‘normal’, with photographs hung on the walls and decorations everywhere. But there was one very,  _ very  _ obvious thing that was missing and every inch of the place only served to make it more and more so.

 

There wasn’t a single photo of Angus. **Anywhere**. Images of a pale-skinned little boy growing up on the walls were more than likely the ‘brother’ his angel had mentioned, but not a single picture included their beautifully darker sibling… In fact, not a single thing in the _entirety_ of his line of vision gave any indication of the gentle soul having ever lived there, like he was some sort of… _mistake_ that the family was trying desperately to erase.

 

The woman was beginning to scream, but the blonde’s attention was instead directed toward the busted up doorway as his two friends rushed through it. Momentary feelings of gratefulness shuddered through him at the sight of Mae, bat in hand and hidden beneath her cloak, and Casey, holding on to one of his  _ shotguns  _ and rocking that same pink wig (though he’d replaced the dress with a camouflage jacket), but they were replaced as he returned his attention toward the ‘parents’ standing before them.

 

“What the fuck is this shit?” The ‘mother’ demanded, rounding the table with a nasty expression almost reminiscent of having realized how shitty of a parent she was. After a moment passed, however, logic seemed to catch up with her and she froze a little bit, the entirety of her body language switching from aggressive to extremely cautious. “Lovely… a bunch of  _ Traiters.  _ Are you going to burn my house down too?” 

 

“You’ll be  **lucky** if that’s  _ all _ I fucking do to you, you bitch!” Greggory was screaming, his mind completely devoid of reason as he removed one of his (many) hidden switchblades and snapped it open with one fluid movement, before pointing it directly at her face. “Where the fuck is he!?”

 

Confusion crossed her features, which only served to make him even  **angrier.** Even as Mae reached out to grab hold of his arm - as if in an attempt to hold him back - he started to inch forward with his teeth bared. His feet stopped dead seconds later, however, when the cruel ‘parent’ glanced toward her husband and questioned, “Where’s  _ who _ ?”

 

“If you’re talking about our son, he’s at a friends,” The seemingly dead ‘father’ commented after a brief pause, the causal-yet-empty sound in his voice telling the the four figures standing in the door (when had Bea entered…?) exactly which of his children he meant… 

 

And it wasn’t the one in question.

 

In all honesty, if the tiny figure holding his arm hadn’t let out a sharp gasp in that moment the blonde would have  _ definitely  _ cracked at the terrible words, but as his friend began to stumble and nearly collapsed against him his anger was momentarily defused. “Dude, are you okay!?” Casey cried out, but he was cut off suddenly as Beatrice suddenly ran forward and practically nudged Greggory out of the way in order to grab onto Mae, who was still swaying on her feet.

 

It was only when the trembling girl began to mumble under her breath that the room went completely silent, all eyes on the seemingly possessed being. Her words were nearly inaudible (except for the taller of the costumed friends, of course), but when they left her lips both of the Delaney parents face’s twisted into looks of dread, the frozen ‘mother’s’ expression by  _ far  _ more so. “...Panty. In… we’re… he’s-... pantry…”

 

Almost instantly, the worry that the blonde haired boy felt gave way to that same inner  **rage** . It only grew more and more as the feeling of his breathing restricting filled him along with a quiet, sobbing voice in the very back of his mind begging to be  _ free _ from the far-too-familiar darkness.

 

A burning, passionate fire took over and for a moment it was more like watching a movie through his own eyes, rather than controlling it… and yet, he found himself rooting on the ‘hero’ and didn’t exactly mind or attempt to stop each and every action, despite the eventual consequences that would no doubt come from them. Stalking forward at an agonizingly slow pace, he removed the second of many knives that were hidden on him and held it at one side, the other one still directly pointed toward the trembling ginger woman. “ **_Angus. Where is_ ** **_Angus_ ** **_?_ ** ”

 

Satisfaction admittedly filled his every brim at the complete  _ terror  _ on her face, which was mirrored almost perfectly by the one on her shitty ass husband’s. Slowly she lifted a trembling finger and pointed it toward a closed, tiny door, her voice coming out in a shaking stumble. “T-there… he’s in there…! Just take him… just go!”

 

Dark eyes glanced in the direction of the door, where Gregg saw Casey nervously watching him while slowly inching toward it. Bea was still holding on to Mae’s shoulders while she swayed back and forth on her feet, though by the fearful expression she now wore it seemed like whatever had caused her previous state had, for the most part, run it’s course. The tallest of the costumed trio ended up swallowing nervously as he finally tore his eyes away from the ground and reached for the handle of the  _ dungeon _ , pulling it open.

 

Each and every inch revealed was like a painful heart attack, cutting into his very  _ soul  _ and tearing it to complete shreds. The sight of his sweet, gentle angel curled up in a ball within a space that was barely three feet at it’s widest points, trembling arms wrapped around his long legs, and surrounded a bunch of shattered food containers was like  _ torture _ … but it was those golden eyes as they reached up and met his that pushed him those last few inches over the edge to a final state of being  _ completely  _ uncontrollable.

 

Because at no point in the entirety of his life had Greggory Lee laid his eyes upon someone who appeared to be so fucking...  **_relieved_ ** . This expression could never match up to any of the pain-filled ones those sweet freckled features had worn before… this was Angus’  _ worst nightmare  _ and knowing that there was an entire novel of terrible, unknown things that surrounded the circumstances tore any and all logic from his mind before it twisted every bit of it into that very same  _ rage _ … but this time, there weren’t any words or actions that were going to defuse it.

 

...Except for a sudden, extremely light brush of fingers to his wrist. Slowly, dark eyes turned to meet the fearful ones of his precious angel, who let out a strange, different kind of relieved shaky breath and lifted a trembling hand to remove the knife the shorter boy was still grasping. A frown was starting to cross the blonde’s face when the unusually dead  _ silence  _ that surrounded them caught his attention. Concern started to fill his chest and he turned around, only to find the three figures he’d entered with hanging back and staring directly at him in what almost looked like…wait, was that... was that  _ fear _ ? 

 

It was these looks that confirmed that something was definitely off. Dread began to fill his throat and the short boy had to force himself to swallow it down as he slowly turned to once again gaze toward the Delaneys… 

 

Or rather, where they  _ had  _ been. Now ,the image of the dining room table with the couple seated down for their soulless dinner had been replaced with… with a home that was completely torn to  _ pieces.  _ Half of the large piece of furniture was where the back door had once been, the entirety of the wall and glass slider scattered across the fenced, nicely kept yard. The parts that remained inside were in chunks around the living room, photographs and fancy electronics scattered all over like debris left by a tornado.

 

By far the worst, however… was the sight of Angus’ mom, cowering on the floor with a massive (though not deep) cut across the front of her chest.

 

Only one word left the blonde’s lips at this sight, just barely above a whisper and yet more than likely heard by the entirety of the eerily silent house.

 

“...Fuck.”

 

And then it all went black.


	10. Sic vita est - Thus is life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things tend to change slowly, over time... but, sometimes, they can change suddenly, and all at once.

  
  


For as long as he could remember, there had been an abandoned well, deep within the forest. It had dried up before he was born - or so he’d heard - and thus had always seemed far too uninteresting to bother with… no one had ever  _ told _ him to avoid it and so he just... always had, assuming that it was of little interest as it wasn’t off limits. (After all,  _ all  _ the best places were ones he wasn’t supposed to go.)

 

But there was… there was  _ something  _ there. Something that he just… couldn’t quite put his finger on. It was intimidating, like a ringing in his ears that he couldn’t actually  _ hear _ … it was pulsing and making his head pound with each beat, like a silent drum in the back of his mind. But despite the ache, he could still feel his feet carrying him toward where he knew it was, while that silent banging somehow managed to grow louder, and  _ louder… _

 

As his heavy footfalls made way through the forest, however, he began to realize that things just... weren’t  _ quite  _ right. There were no birds chirping, no wind rustling through the leaves, and the air was  _ stale _ , almost like a loaf of bread that had been left to dry in the summer heat. It left his mouth feeling like cotton and his hands trembling… then, a few seconds later, he started figure out  _ why _ .

 

Because, when the trees parted and the clearing came into view, it revealed that the place where the well had once been was… was just  **gone** . The place where it had once stood was now a massive, gaping  _ sinkhole _ , it’s sharp rim leading down into a seemingly endless and intimidating darkness… the heat burning around him pulled the air from his lungs in a sharp gasp and that silent pounding began to intensify once more before it slowly turned into…

 

...into  _ crackling. _

 

_ I’m coming for what was promised to me, Little Fox. _

 

Jolting around in alarm, Gregg immediately tensed, expecting to once again come face-to-face with the mysterious voice’s owner… but an instant later, his entire body became frozen with _horror_. Because instead of seeing that unnervingly pale face and wicked grin before him, the still figure was none other than his gentle loved one, standing silently less than ten feet away… but the part that made him choke in agony was the _far_ too wicked grin and those same deadly goat eyes, baring **deep** into his soul.

 

A scream of horror tore from him, almost as if the creature itself had shoved it’s sharp claws down his throat and  _ pulled  _ it free. Less than a second later he was sitting up in a panic, only to flop back down onto the mattress he was lying roughly upon with a groan of pain seconds later, both hands lifting to grasp at his pounding head.

 

“Gregg…?”

 

Dark blue eyes snapped open in an instant, jolting fearfully in the direction of the voice that drifted in from nearby. Although the room was dimly lit, the lighting still managed to make his eyes sting, but he refused to let them return to being shut the instant he spotted Angus sitting beside him…  _ safe _ . A sweet, but pained look of concern was painted across freckled features, but a second later relief partially took them over and the ginger-haired boy seemed to relax a small bit while letting out a deep breath, almost as if he’d been holding it for days.

 

... _ Had  _ he?

 

Forcing himself to tear his eyes away, the blonde-haired teen began taking in his surroundings in hopes of brushing off whatever…  _ dream  _ that had been. As he started started to sit up, however, he couldn’t help but to shiver a little when his sweet angel reached out to help him… a mix of emotions threatened to overtake him, reminding him of the image that had been, but he quickly pushed it away to instead focus on the moment. 

 

It took only a few seconds to realize that he was lying in Mae’s bed, the attic-room an all too familiar and yet comforting one. (Unlike with his own home, she’d been  _ given _ the choice to move up there and had - for some reason - gladly taken it, though he honestly couldn’t understand  _ why _ .) At the moment he was more than thankful as the open space allowed for some room to breathe, although that ability began to disappear once again with each pair of eyes he spotted, staring openly at him. 

 

Casey was standing against one of the walls, his arms crossed over his chest and an unreadable expression in his eyes. Only a few feet from the bed was Mae, sitting in a chair with Bea behind it. The taller girl’s pale hands were placed on the seated figure’s shoulders, almost like some sort of grounding tool or a strangely open display of comfort… then, of course, there was Angus, seated right beside him on the edge of the mattress with his shoulders trembling and his cheeks wet from tears.

 

It was the room’s owner who broke the silence, appearing suddenly beside Angus with her red eyes filled with more concern than he could ever remember seeing within them. “Gregg, thank  _ God _ !” She blurted rather loudly, falling next to the bed onto her knees with both of her hands pressed on the mattress, allowing her to lean in slightly as if to look him over in for any sort of injuries in a rush of what seemed like almost…  _ panicked  _ movements? “Are you okay…? Aw, shit, that’s a dumb question… uh, how are you feeling? Jeeze, we were all so  **worried** …!”

 

Although he moved to immediately jump in and assure that he was  _ fine _ , memories of where they’d all been previously suddenly returned to the blonde’s mind and his entire body froze in alarm. The last thing he remembered seeing was his loved one’s ‘home’ in total ruin, while all of the inhabitants gazed upon him in… in  _ fear _ , the sight of the boy’s ‘mother’ covered in her own blood one that caused a bad taste to fill his mouth, causing him to gag.

 

When he managed to regain composure a brief second later, it was impossible to keep the question off of his lips... although he didn’t miss the distressed look that all of his present friends shared as he muttered, “...What happened?” From his distant spot, Casey shifted anxiously, while Bea moved to cross both of her arms and turned her face away in obvious discomfort. 

 

Silence followed his words for what felt like an  _ eternity, _ before the Asian girl decided to break it with a soft, but firm tone. “...Why don’t we give them some space?” Several looks of surprise followed her words, but she blatantly ignored them to instead turn and head down the stairs. It almost seemed like she was trying to ignore the implications of her suggestion as, after all, she’d made it obvious for  _ quite _ some time how much she disliked the unpredictable boy... yet for some reason here she was, openly offering to leave him alone with her best friend, despite her previous (and rarely concealed) hesitance.

 

Glancing back toward the seated pair, the darker-skinned girl bit down on her bottom lip with a conflicted expression. It was obvious that she was reluctant to leave, concern radiating off of her in waves… eventually, however, she let out a small sigh of defeat and moved to stand. After giving one more glance back, Mae began heading down the stairs, leaving the three of them in silence once more.

 

Turning his dark eyes toward the last of his three friends, Greggory was surprised to find the paler of the two redheads stone-faced, arms crossed and body tense, with green orbs narrowed slightly in their direction. Although his expression was unreadable, something about it was almost…  _ unsettling.  _ It took nearly half a minute before he finally turned and began to descend the rickety steps, allowing the tense older boy to  _ finally _ turn his gaze toward his loved one once more.

 

A painful painting of emotions spread across freckled features sent a shiver down his back, filling his mouth once again with that same bad taste… Angus’s gaze was cast downward, his hands clasped in his lap and his entire body trembling. From the way he was seated on the very edge of the bed it almost seemed like he was trying to appear smaller than was humanly possible, while golden eyes swirled with a mix of fear, sadness, and… and  _ guilt _ ? In fact, that last emotion was so intense that the older boy was almost certain he could  _ feel  _ it drifting off of the gentle soul like a cloud, causing a deep frown to spread across his own face. 

 

Reaching out with one hand, he moved to gently place it on one of those shaking shoulders, only to immediately find himself being forced to swallow down the realization of just how frail the other boy’s overly-thin body felt beneath his touch. Surprise shot through both of them and the dark-skinned boy immediately looked up with a confused glance, only to turning his gaze away in an instant while wrapping both arms around himself. Several more seconds of silence followed as he visibly struggled to find words. “I’m s-”

 

“ **Don’t** ,” Gregg immediately cut in, earning himself another glance. This one was full with a mix of surprise and pained confusion, the agony deep within golden orbs feeling like a sharp stab to the gut. Catching them with his own, he lifted his other hand to firmly grab hold of the sweet boy’s other shoulder and turned him so they were facing each other, before he began to speak as if to stop any sort of argument that might fall from the trembling teen. “You have  **nothing** to apologize for, Angus.  **_Nothing._ ** Do you understand me?”

 

Even before the gentle teen dropped his gaze and to fidget with the sleeves of his jacket, his companion knew whatever he managed to say was going to be a lie. Because the older teen could have sat there, giving the precious angel assurances until the air left his lungs, but he knew it wouldn’t do much to undo the years of abuse from those… those pieces of  _ shit _ had put their own  _ son  _ through. The blonde’s parents hadn’t exactly been the best… but for the first time in his life he actually felt kind of  _ lucky  _ to have them.

 

“...Yeah,” was all the freckled boy managed to mumble, his voice barely audible even in the strangely silent room. The pain within that single word, however, was enough to refresh the realization that lingering on the subject would only do more harm than good in that moment.

 

It was then that his own anxiety and guilt decided to show their ugly faces and memories started to appear like little bubbles his mind. Most of them made very little sense, but the ones that did were... painfully frightening. “So, what, uh-… what happened...?”

 

Depression began to lift it’s claws out from the darkness of despair as a painful sigh left full, parter lips, and Angus turned his face away. It was when he began to speak, however, that it dug those painfully sharp talons straight into his  _ soul.  _  “...I don’t, uh-... I don’t... really  _ know  _ how to explain it. You were just-... you, uh… this, like… this  _ light  _ started to surround you and, like-... it started forming a fox, or something? And then you just, like…  _ lost it.  _ You started, um-... you started to break shit. Like…  _ really  _ break it. You kicked the table in… in  _ half.  _ You… threw part of it, like, out the  _ window,  _ then the other one in the, uh… the living room… You, like, tore apart all of the kitchen cabinets and there was… there was  _ food  _ everywhere. Um, your friends kept trying to tell you to stop but… but it was like you  _ couldn’t,  _ you know? Like… like when a-... um, a  _ trait  _ awakens, or something, and you can’t control it-...”

 

A sudden look of empathy crossing his features was the only thing that made the shorter boy realize he was grimacing, but that was instantly forgotten when an impossibly soft hand reached out to take his in a gentle hold. When blue eyes glanced up for just a brief moment, Angus began speaking again, although this time his words dropped to a level that was barely above whisper. “...So, uh… I mentioned that there was, um, this like… this  _ fox?  _ surrounding you. I don’t-... I don’t know how else to describe it, but, like… you had a light around you was shaped like that, I guess? And then it kind of just, uh...  _ jumped  _ forward at my mom, and knocked her down… she’s alright. I mean, I, uh-... I guess…? I don’t… really know...”

 

It took every ounce of control that Greggory had in him not to break down and start screaming in agony right there. A… a  _ fox…!  _ That stupid, creepy bastard following them around kept referring to him as such, which meant that he had to have  _ known,  _ or… or  _ something.  _ For a brief moment his chest started to tightly, before he suddenly felt himself beginning to drift away as dissociation deciding to rear it’s ugly head. Yet in a strange way he found himself almost thankful for it, because at least feeling separated from his own emotions and body made it easier to try and deal with the sudden amount of negative news. 

 

...But when that gentle touch slipped out of his grip and instead reached up to rest over his heavy heart, his mind snapped back into place just enough to painfully lift his gaze to meet golden orbs once again. “It’s going to be okay, Gregg,…” Angus whispered in that gentle, yet deep tone, and for the first time in his life... the blonde actually felt like someone actually those words, instead of just spewing them because they assumed it was what he needed to hear. There was just…  _ something,  _ about way those endless eyes were looking at him, or perhaps even the touch of a trembling hand so close to his heart... or maybe even the air between them, which assured him that without any doubt that the boy he loved was being honest, though there was no way he could even hope to put that feeling into words. But as the ginger started to speak again a moment later, full lips breaking into a somewhat awkward smile, a strange sense of ease started to lightly wash over that depression…and even if it was only a little bit, the older boy was more than happy to linger it it as long as possible. “...It was, uh, kind of awesome.”

 

A weak smile crossed the older boy’s features in return, but he ended up lowering his gaze once more. Subconsciously, he lifted his hand to lay it over the one on top of his chest and found himself trying for several moments... yet he still couldn’t bring himself to speak. He’d… he’d  _ hurt  _ someone, which meant  **so** many more things than he could comprehend. He’d put his friends in danger… he’d put  _ Angus  _ in danger, and there was no doubt that the police were going to jump on this opportunity to have what would basically turn into a  _ witch hunt  _ to find the “Traiters” responsible for what had happened.

 

...It wasn’t awesome. It wasn’t okay…! 

 

Numbly beginning to shake his head, Greggory suddenly moved away from the taller boy as that same, dark depression that had been clawing at him previously suddenly reached out, digging it’s sharp nails in and dragging him into it’s depths. Awkwardly wrapping both of his arms around his legs as he pulled them up against his body, he ended up shoving his face between both of his shaking knees and tried everything he could to to just… just _disappear._ If he wasn’t there, none of his friends would be in danger…! If he was just… just _gone,_ none of this would have happened in the first place…! If he-...!

 

“Yeah… but I’d still be in there, Gregg.”

 

Lifting his gaze in panic, the older boy instantly reacted and moved to cover his lips, only to realize a half a second later that he hadn’t actually  _ voiced  _ his inner concerns. An expression of confusion replaced shocked features, immediately causing the tall teen to turn his face away and begin shifting nervously. When a shaky voice began to leave the freckled angel, the older boy became painfully aware that, once again, he could just…  _ tell  _ that the words were lies, only spoken out of fear. “...I could just tell. Uh, that you were, like… blaming yourself, you know? But it’s not your fault… I promise.”

 

“Uh, yeah, it is!?” The paler boy almost instantly snapped, only to let out a small wince when he saw the way it ended up making his loved one clower. Burying his face in his knees once more, he released a shaky sigh and, for a brief moment, considered just... getting up and running deep into the forest, until his body collapsed from exhaustion, at which point he could allow himself to fade away. But the thought was brushed off seconds later when he realized how unfair it would be to the boy he loved, who had gone through  _ more  _ than enough heartache. “I…  I almost  _ killed  _ her, Angus… I could have! What kind of person would I have been then…?”

 

“...I’ve killed someone.”

 

Alarm shot down Greggory’s spine, causing his entire body to freeze briefly before dark eyes bolted upward to take in the freckled boy across from him. For a moment he wondered if he had misheard the gentle angel speak… but upon seeing those golden orbs refusing to lift and meet his own, he realized that his hearing had picked up the intense words perfectly. “Y-you…  _ what _ ?”

 

For what felt like far too long the taller figure remained silent, his entire, fragile form beginning to tremble beneath the stare of confusion and concern he could no doubt feel on him. Somehow, the blonde knew that what he was about to say had  _ never  _ been uttered aloud, nor admitted to anyone… not even Bea had been graced with this far too painful truth, yet here the sweet soul was, openly admitting something that so visibly caused him inner torment. “...My scout leader. When I was at camp… I was, like… 10? I don’t… remember, really. The kids were, uh… doing something, I don’t know what, and he… pulled me aside and told me to take a walk with him. I’m not sure why he picked me… But he, uh… he took me to some empty area a-and, um-...”

 

Silence followed after his words as they trailed off - which, in all honesty, spoke  _ far  _ more than anything he could have said. That darkened, constricting feeling inside of the older boy’s chest became painfully tight, as if his lungs were being squeezed and air was far too difficult to get. His stomach began to swirl and threatened to empty itself, though he was pretty sure there wasn’t much left in it to lose.

 

Thankfully, Angus seemed to understand that the rest of his sentence didn’t need to be spoken... but after closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath he decided to say the painful words, regardless. It was as if he  _ needed  _ to get them out, since admitting it was the first step to being able to accept that it had happened in the first place. “He tried to, like, touch me… I told him to stop, but he was trying to, uh… convince me that it was fine. That it was just what people who liked each other did, and if I didn’t do it then I was, like, being rude, or… or something… I just kept saying no and he, uh, kept ignoring it, so I s-started to, um-... I started screaming, a-and he-...”

 

Pained, golden eyes lifted just long enough to meet with the horrified blue ones of the frozen blonde, dropping back to the floor half a second later as guilt visibly overtook him like a heavy weight being placed on his shoulders. “...Then he was just...  _ gone _ . Like he… he  _ vanished _ . No trace of him left… like he  _ dissolved _ , o-rr something… that’s, uh, how I found out a-about my trait.”

 

“...A-Angus-” The shorter boy attempted, only to find words failing him seconds later. Thankfully the silence only lasted for a brief pause before finally just decided to reach out and wrap both arms around the trembling form curled up beside him. Immediately his sweet angel froze within the hold, but managed to relax and allow himself to accept it by turning to bury his freckled face against a warm, pale neck. “...That  **wasn’t** your fault. That guy, he-... he got what he deserved, okay? He deserved  _ worse,  _ just-... you  _ gotta  _ know that it wasn’t you…!”

 

After swallowing down his nerves and taking in a steadying breath, Angus finally allowed his gaze to raise once more, locking with the passionate one watching him in deep concern. The intensity in the blonde’s orbs was unmistakable, which seemed to help him to find his voice… and although the words were uttered at a tone barely above a whisper, they still sent a tremble down the older boy’s spine. “...So did she, Gregg.”

 

It was instantly visible how very difficult it was for the sweet angel to say such a thing, the idea of blaming anyone but himself one that he had never allowed himself to even  _ consider  _ before. And it was for that reason, and that reason alone, that the blonde closed his lips and refused to let himself argue… yet, despite how true he  _ knew _ the words were, deep down there was still that voice in the back of his mind trying to defend that it was  _ different _ . Saying such a thing, however, would be like telling Angus that what he’d gone through wasn’t  _ that bad... _ and he knew that the freckled teen already struggled enough with that fear, but he’d managed to overcome it in hopes of making Greggory feel a little bit better.

 

Seeming to decide that their deep conversation had gone on long enough, the taller boy dragged his gaze away and attempted to stand, only to catch himself when he stumbled a little bit on shaking legs. Embarrassment crossed his features and he quickly cleared his throat, as if doing so would redirect the attention away from what had occurred... but the damage had been done and the blonde’s chest, which had previously been stuffed with guilt and depression, instead began to flood with concern. Jumping to his feet as well, he quickly moved closer and began to inspect his crush, finding himself clenching his teeth seconds later in a mix of deep worry and… and that same protective  _ rage _ . Although he was trying desperately to hide it, it was  **more** than obvious that the gentle angel wasn’t doing alright… aside from the fact that he appeared nearly ready to pass out, his hollow features only reminded the older boy of just how  _ thin  _ he was under that heavy sweatshirt… which, in turn, only reminded him of the reasons  _ why _ .

 

**Forcing** himself not to address the stumble - as he knew it would more than likely cause the gentle boy to shy away - Gregg swallowed down all of his concern and instead turned, motioning toward the staircase with a (quite obviously) forced smile. There was no doubt they could both tell his true motives as he spoke, but in that moment it seemed neither of them dared to approach topic hidden beneath the surface. “Why don’t we go’n check on the dudes, huh? Bet’cha they’re all worried ‘n shit.”

 

Once again, the older boy found himself able to somehow read  _ exactly  _ what emotions passed over freckled features, although not a single word was uttered. There was…  _ something  _ that seemed off, something that had every bit to do with the group of people waiting for them. Or, more specifically...  _ Casey _ . He wasn’t sure if it had anything to do with the weird look that the paler of the redheads had sent them, but before he could linger on it for long the taller boy seemed to take his his suggestion and started down the steps in a tense silence.

 

The wordless air only seemed to grow more dense as they continued down to the first floor, where they were greeted by the sight of Mae’s parents, who were quietly talking at the bottom of the stairs. At first, the pair seemed unaware of the sound of them approaching, allowing Gregg to catch the last bits of their whispered conversation and the blatant concern within Candy’s pained voice. “You know her, Stan… we  _ can’t  _ tell her. She won’t care that he’s- oh! Hello, boys.”

 

Both parents turned, immediately fixing the teens with carbon copies of the same sympathetic smile. Reaching out, Mae’s mother wrapped an arm around Angus and, taking care to be gentle, began to steer him down a hallway toward the nearby kitchen. “You look absolutely exhausted, dear! Let me get you something to eat.”

 

Watching his loved one be steered away with a look of what almost seemed to be fear spread across freckled features, Gregg felt his chest tighten once again. Anxiety began to fill him up all over again, but he forced himself to ignore it as Stan motioned him toward the living room and three all-too-familiar pairs of eyes lifted to meet him in silence.

 

When Mae moved to stand from her spot on the sofa and motioned for him to sit, the blonde reluctantly took the offer while sending a nervous glance toward Bea. The tall girl paused for only a moment before she seemed to decide something inwardly and approached the red-eyed girl, stepping up beside her in what almost seemed to be a protective manner. Immediately the older boy’s gaze dropped and he felt guilt washing over him, his darkened mind taking the opportunity to assume that the hesitation and discomfort was directed toward him. 

 

Several painful seconds dragged on before Mae’s father finally broke it, taking the unoccupied space on the sofa with a solemn expression. “Alright, so… obviously, things have changed, and there’s no doubt they’re going to get much more complicated from here on… But I’m afraid it was bound to happen eventually. These sorts of things are, unfortunately, much too hard to hide. But the best we can do now is come up with a plan and make sure we’ve all got our stories straight. Now… does anyone have any ideas?”

 

“I do,” Casey mumbled rather bitterly, earning four pairs of eyes turning to glance in his direction. Upon finally laying his eyes on his taller friend, Gregg’s stomach twisted in knots and somehow, before the other boy’s lips parted, he knew that whatever suggestion they were about to utter... wasn’t going to be one he liked. “Get rid of Angus. Like… send him somewhere else. I mean, they’re his parents, right? So if he’s gone the cops can’t trace us through him-... why are you all  _ looking _ at me like that?”

 

“ **Fuck you,** Casey!” The blonde finally snapped after going far too long trying to hold his tongue. Anger began to build up inside of his chest once again, but it was thankfully stifled momentarily when Mae spoke up, her own voice stained with a cautious confusion.

 

“That’s a shit suggestion, Casey… what the  _ hell _ ?” 

 

A tenseness seemed to fall over the tall boy like a fog and he lifted his head, gazing downward at them, as if wary of their reactions. “And what… do you have a better idea?” Despite having thrown his suggestion out so carelessly, he seemed almost…  _ offended  _ that they were insulting his words, as if unable to see how incredibly cold-hearted they were.

 

“Uh, yeah?” The short, bouncy girl snapped, crossing her stick-like arms over her flat chest and turning her attention toward Bea, whose own features were as cold as stone. Although he wasn’t perfect at reading body language, Gregg could tell in an instant that the younger of his friends was feeling something at least a little bit similar to the pain in his own chest… and, deep down, she was probably just as concerned at just how quickly Casey would throw one of  _ them  _ under the bus, if given the chance. “How about we  _ don’t  _ fucking act like this is Angus’ fault!? You were there… you saw that shit! You saw what was happening! But you didn’t-... you didn’t see  _ inside  _ of that Pantry, okay!? You didn’t walk in there and see just how fucking  _ tiny  _ it was, or how much it hurt him, or-...  _ shit _ , Casey, what the  **fuck** !?”

 

As her words trailed off into another uncomfortable silence, the other four inhabitants of the room gazed upon her with mixed looks of confusion and concern. Lowering both trembling fists to her sides, the tiny girl turned her gaze away and clenched her teeth, seeming to vibrate with an anger that the blonde didn’t even consider someone  _ other _ than himself having… But what confused him the most was her words, as he couldn’t exactly understand their meaning, so he decided it was best to address those first. “Uh, wait-... what? You were… in there? I don’t… I don’t get it.”

 

To his surprise it was Bea who responded almost immediately, reaching out to slowly wrap one of her arms around the shuddering girl as her own eyes turned in the direction of a person she had only ever shown a large distaste for, up until recent events. “It’s, uh-... another ‘Trait’? Astral Projection is what it’s called... or at least, that’s what Angus told us. I guess she can, like, walk outside of her own body, or something…? I don’t really understand it...”

 

“That makes two of us…” Mae muttered bitterly, though she leaned into the hold around her shoulders and averted her gaze with a distasteful expression.

 

“Kids, kids! There’s plenty of time to discuss what went on at a later time!” Stan finally cut in, his gruff voice bringing the remaining occupants of the room into a solemn silence once again (though it did effectively cut off the arguing, which was wonderful). “Right now we need to make sure we have a plan ironed out, before-” Unfortunately, just as his voice began it was cut off, the sound of the doorbell ringing suddenly making the five of them jump in alarm. Several pairs of eyes began to panic while glancing in it’s direction, and there was no doubt that each of his friends were filled with the same dread that immediately stabbed Greggory right in the chest.

 

Candy exited the kitchen only after nearly a minute passed and a second knock insisted upon a response, her shoulders tense and a forced smile plastered on her lips. It only grew to be even more so a moment later when the door swung open to reveal her sister Molly, dressed in her police uniform and accompanied by her parnter - something that only happened when they were investigating a more ‘serious case.’ (Up until this point, however, ‘serious’ in Possum Springs usually referred to a home being egged in the middle of the night… not something as violent as  _ this. _ ) “Oh, Molly! What are you doing here?”

 

The expression she was instantly met with was one of annoyance, showing that the officer didn’t appreciate that she was clearly being patronized, even if it was by her sister. Nonetheless, she remained professional, her shoulders straight and her voice firm. “There was an altercation at the Delaney’s home and a witness confirmed that their eldest son, Angus, came into your home directly following. We need to speak with him, as well as his friends Beatrice, Casey, Greggory, and Margret.”

 

Seeming to faulter in surprise at the firm list of suspects, Mae’s mother replaced her smile with an unreadable expression and nodded silently. She hesitated several more moments, as if hoping her sibling would silently turn around and leave… only to eventually, reluctantly turn back into the home to call out down the hallway. “Angus, dear? The police would like to speak to you.”

 

Moving to immediately stand with the burning, passionate intention of protecting his precious angel, the blonde found himself jumping when he was stopped suddenly by a hand reaching to grasp his wrist. Turning to snap his gaze toward the hold, he was surprised when he realized it was Bea who had taken hold of him, of all people, her face pale (or at least, more so than usual) and full of… was that  _ fear _ ? Before he could even think about questioning the actions she held up a hand, pressing a finger to his lips to cut him off, her gruff tone lowering into a whisper. “Gregg, they kind of, uh… pretty much  _ know  _ it was you who destroyed their place.”

 

Alarm instantly shot like an electric bolt down the shorter figure’s spine, making his lungs constrict. Dark blue eyes snapped toward the hallway in time to see Angus nervously pass by the living room, (which was, thankfully, mostly concealed from the doorway) with an ashen look of dread etched deep upon freckled features. Although barely able, the blonde forced himself to return his attention back toward the boy’s best friend, while swallowing down the lump of nausea and fear that was quickly forming in his throat in order to press for more answers. “What do you mean? I was, uh, wearing that mask... right…?”

 

“ _ Yeah _ , dude,” Casey cut in with what was blatantly a sneer, practically moving between the two of them to instead reach out an arm and wrap it around the shorter boy in what the latter hoped he was only imagining was a protective hold. “But you’ve been seen around town with Angus several times, and apparently you were, like, sleeping outside his house in the rain, or something…? If they see you, they’re gonna wanna take you in for, like, questioning at  _ least _ . She’s totally right, dude.”

 

Fear started to overwhelm him, seeming to crawl through every inch of his skin… the more and more the seconds went on, the harder it became to breathe, until Greggory found himself literally gasping for air, almost  _ painfully _ . As he lifted a hand to grasp at his chest his gazedrifted back toward the ginger boy he cared for so deeply, who remained completely frozen at Mae’s mother’s side, an intense trembling the only movement he was visibly managing to make.

 

...And then, golden orbs slowly turned to meet the the older boy’s own ones and he just...  _ knew.  _ It wasn’t exactly something he could put into words in that moment, if  _ ever _ , but just like the slap he’d received from seemingly nowhere and the feeling of objects hitting him when there were none, the realization that the emotions and breathing problems he was feeling weren’t actually  _ his  _ suddenly hit him like a painfully obvious stab to the gut.

 

_ Angus  _ was the one who couldn’t breathe...  _ Angus  _ was the one who felt completely paralyzed with fear… and when a wave of fresh, but unexpected tears began to fill dark blue orbs the exact moment they became apparent in the pain-filled ones gazing deep into them, the blonde’s mind finally started to put everything together, piece by piece.

 

They were  _ connected _ . He wasn't sure how, or why… he didn't know if it was a trait, and if it was just which one of them it belonged to… but he could _ feel  _ everything the tall teen was as if he was experiencing the emotions and physical pain himself, though there was no doubt his own knowledge of their intensity was far more muted. It was this realization that caused him to figure it out… to just  _ know  _ that in that moment that there was really only one thing he could do to protect the both of them.

 

And it was the very thing that angelic gaze was  _ begging _ him to do….

 

**_Run._ **

 

Spinning suddenly on his heel, Gregg burst forward in a rush of adrenaline, making for the back exit that he knew from memory was connected to the kitchen. But he ended up underestimating just how well Mae’s aunt knew the layout of her own family’s home, because the second he started to pull the handle open he heard her voice burst out in a cry of, “He’s running out the back!  _ Get him _ !”

 

As he started across the well-kept grass in the long yard he heard Mae crying out for him to ‘ _ just  _ **_GO_ ** _!’,  _ but the sudden sound of something echoing even louder out the door made him stop dead in his tracks. It was Angus, his cries far louder than any other (though he couldn’t tell if it actually  _ was _ , or if he could simply hear it more clearly) and filled with a pained panic that shattered the older teen’s heart into pieces. 

 

“ ** _Don’t_** **_touch him!!!_** ”

 

The sudden sound of crackling only lasted a brief instant before it was immediately drowned out by none other than an  _ explosion,  _ which made the entire ground tremble beneath the blonde’s feet. His entire body was tossed onto the ground as the grass behind him  _ shattered _ \- for lack of a better word - into a slow shower of dirt, dust, and blades of what was once a beautiful display of green blades of grass. Taking less than a second to leap back onto his feet, the fleeing boy then allowed himself time to spin around and take in the shocked faces of the police officers, standing in the open back slider and now completely separated from his position by what had to be at  _ least _ a ten foot deep hole.

 

It felt like an eternity as the pair of them turned, laying their judgemental eyes upon his sweet angel. And then, one by one, the remaining occupants of the house mimicked the movement, able to see the still figure through the glass of the back door… slowly, each and every look began to intensify, as the realization came upon them that Angus had just revealed himself as not only the owner of a Trait… but also an  _ incredibly  _ powerful one, capable of doing far more harm than any of them could have imagined from such a timid being.

 

Yet in that moment, those golden eyes choose only to lock with dark blue ones, not a single ounce of regret held within them… he had  _ more _ than known what he was doing and, like the older boy, wasn't the least bit concerned with the consequences. Because, just like the person who loved him so… he, too, wanted nothing more than to protect the one who meant just as much to him in return.

 

The only words that came to the blonde’s lips were the most meaningful ones he’d ever spoken, yet in that moment they were also, undoubtedly, the most painful. After all, from this moment on things would never be the same… but after everything that had happened, the fear of being ‘outed’ felt nothing but trivial. And for the first time in his life, Greggory Lee was no longer afraid to admit a secret he’d tried so hard to keep locked away all of these years… 

 

Because there was so much  _ more  _ to be afraid of, now.

 

“I love you, Angus Delaney!”

 

There it was… tinged with pain and sadness, and yet still the sweetest smile he had ever seen grace the gentle, freckled face of the person whose soul he had, by some undeserved miracle, become connected with. And when Angus lifted his voice once again to reply, the expression held in his eyes one he meant only to share with the fleeing teen, the older boy knew for sure this time that the reason he could understand the words so clearly had nothing to do with his actual ability to  _ hear _ them.

 

“I love you too, Greggory Lee.”

 

And so, swallowing down the pain in his heart and the longing in his chest… Gregg turned away and leapt into the air, scaling the back fence of the Borowski residence and disappearing from view.

 

**To be continued...**

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you SO MUCH for reading this story!
> 
> I appreciate all of your comments and support so very much, I can't even begin to express how much they've all meant to me. It's been a while since I've written/uploaded a fanfic, so I'm glad to hear I've still got that badass touch ;3
> 
> I am planning to do a sequel, though I'm not sure how long it will take.


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